The Way the Winds of Time Blow
by Aria Zephyr
Summary: Two years after the events of LoZ: WW, Tetra and Link find out about some strange events in a mysterious forest that no one alive has ever visited. Review chapter removed due to new rule
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter 1: Prologue  
  
Many, many years ago, a beautiful land once existed. This land was known as Hyrule. It was watched over by the three goddesses; Din, Farore, and Nayru. It was by their power that the land had been created. Din represented power, Farore represented courage, and Nayru represented wisdom. Together, they formed a golden power known only as the Triforce. There were three pieces to this power, each one symbolic of each of the goddesses. The Triforce rested peacefully in Hyrule, never having to choose a bearer.  
  
The goddesses created a small forest for themselves, which acted as a link between their world and the natural one. They created a place where the departed souls of the pure of heart would go. They set up a special gateway, with three special keys. After a time, one was removed for safe- keeping and taken to where it would be safe. All seemed well in the peaceful land the goddesses had so carefully created.  
  
However, one day, a man of great evil came to Hyrule and took the Triforce of Power for himself. With this in his possession, he set out to conquer Hyrule. But, there were obstacles in his way. He did not possess the other two Triforce pieces and they had yet to choose their bearers. Also, two children stood in his way. One was the crown princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda. The other was an orphaned boy who had grown up amongst the Kokiri tribe in the Kokiri Forest. His name was Link.  
  
This seemingly non-threatening boy set out to stop the man of evil, Ganondorf, and save Hyrule from him. He was given a special flute by Princess Zelda, which aided him greatly. It was called the Ocarina of Time. Link braved all of the monsters and tests that Ganondorf tried to stop him with, and was also aided by a Sheikah named Sheik.  
  
Eventually, after Link had gained the Triforce of Courage and the one blade that could strike Ganondorf down, the Master Sword, Sheik removed her disguise to reveal that Sheik was actually Zelda! Ganondorf kidnapped the princess not long after this and Link pursued him to his tower. With Zelda's aid, Link defeated the evil Ganondorf and sealed him away in the Evil Realm.  
  
After this, Link was sent back to the Kokiri Forest, but soon after, he ventured out again, this time to aid a land called Termina. The land was being terrorized by a mask of great power, known as Majora's Mask. Link destroyed the evil mask with the help of another mask, the Fierce Deity Mask.  
  
Some say that Link later returned to Hyrule and lived there in peace. Others believe that he settled in Termina and decided to stay. No one knows what became of him.  
  
Years after Link had left Hyrule, an evil presence appeared in the goddesses' sacred forest. Strangely, all eight of the chosen sages had vanished and without them, the people were powerless to stop it. The goddesses, in their attempt to protect the forest and the special gateway within it, chose two new sages; a sage of Wind and a sage of Earth. When their power was in place, the evil presence, which had started to threaten Hyrule itself, was sealed deep within its own fortress, but not before the creature swore that the king of darkness would soon return and seek his revenge.  
  
The people thought nothing of this warning, and disregarded it, thinking that the seal forced upon him would always keep him away. But, exactly fifteen years after his defeat at Link's hands, Ganondorf returned in a wild wrath. He immediately set out to destroy Hyrule and its citizens. The people believed that Link would come again to save them, but he never came. Just as their moment of greatest need was at hand, they could only leave their fate in the hands of the goddesses.  
  
Though it was an agonizing choice, the goddesses sent heavy rains to cover Hyrule beneath water, so that it would not fall to Ganondorf's hands. The eight sages who commanded the power of the eight temples had vanished without a trace, so to relieve this and to seal Ganondorf away, at least momentarily, the goddesses chose two people to become the sages of the Earth and Wind temples.  
  
Those who survived Hyrule's flooding settled on the mountaintops of the land, which became islands. Nearly all memory of Hyrule vanished with it beneath the water. Except for one island, that is. The story of the legendary hero still existed on one small island. It became a custom there to dress young boys in green when they came of age.  
  
But, what became of the Hero of Time? And of the sacred forest of the goddesses? None remain who know..Or do they? 


	2. Chapter 2: And so, It Begins

Author: Okay, so the last chapter was somewhat of a bore. Things'll get  
more exciting as the story goes on. I promise!  
Din: When will I have a place in this?  
Author: WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT! I'M THE AUTHOR SO I'M MORE OMNIPITENT THAN  
YOU!  
Din: Jerk.  
Author: *sticks out tongue at Din* Anyway, on with the story!  
  
Chapter 2: And so, It Begins  
It was a fine, early summer morning as a large pirate ship glided smoothly  
across the bright blue waters of the Great Sea. However, unlike most  
pirates, the ones who were on this ship were rather friendly once you got  
to know them. Also, their captain was what could definitely be called  
unconventional, as she was a girl and only fourteen years old.  
Nevertheless, this girl was a strong leader and wouldn't let any of her  
crew slack off. That is, if she was around; one of them was a constant  
slacker. Anyway, at the moment, she was near the wheel talking to the  
pirate standing there.  
"So, the kid has gone ahead to scout out what's before us?" The pirate  
asked. "Yes; it's been a while since we sailed these waters," His captain  
replied, watching the waves. "It's been two years, but it hardly seems  
like it was yesterday when that big old monster bird snatched you off the  
ship and took off towards that island," The pirate said.  
The girl threw him a sharp look and said, "I didn't ask to get kidnapped,  
regardless of how long." "Yes, but then, you wouldn't have had to be saved  
by the kid," The pirate said cheekily. She glared at him again and said,  
"If you come up with another smart remark, you get to clean out the next  
batch of fish we catch for dinner." The pirate's eyes widened and he shut  
his mouth.  
The girl climbed down the ladder that led to the main deck and just as soon  
as she touched it, a short pirate with glasses ran up to her. "Miss Tetra!  
Nudge says we're running low on food and water rations!" He said. "Well,  
then, it looks like we'll have to land at island soon, doesn't it?" The  
girl, Tetra, said. "When do you think that Link will be back? He left  
this morning to look for land and he still hasn't come back yet," The short  
pirate said. "He'll be back soon, Mako. Just how soon, I don't know,"  
Tetra said.  
"Hoy! Miss Tetra! Red Lion boat off the starboard bow!" A pirate yelled  
from the crow's nest. "Thank you, Zuko! We all needed to have our  
eardrums paralyzed!" Tetra shouted sarcastically. "Hey! Is somebody gonna  
throw a rope down here and help me up, or do I have to sprout wings and  
fly?" A voice from below the side of the ship called. Tetra ran over to  
the side and yelled, "Just a minute! I have to find somebody to pull you  
up first!" She turned and looked all around her.  
"Where are Nudge and Senza?!" She yelled finally in frustration. "Right  
here, ma'am!" Two pirates said as they ran up to her. "Don't just stand  
there! Go toss the ropes down to Link!" Tetra said, pointing to the side.  
They both ran over and each threw a thick sturdy rope down to the boat  
below.  
Soon, whoever was down there called up to say that the ropes were secured  
and both of the pirates started to pull on the other ends that were draped  
over a set of pulleys that hung from thick metal bars. Almost as soon as  
they started, a handsome red boat with an elegant lion's head for a prow  
appeared from the side and was pulled high enough so that its occupant  
could safely get onto the deck.  
He was a boy who was probably no older than Tetra and instead of wearing  
pirate's vestments like the crew, he wore a bright green tunic, a lime  
green shirt, and loose white pants, along with a floppy green hat on his  
head.  
Tetra ran over to him almost immediately after he got on deck and asked,  
"Did you find any nearby islands we can stop at?" He looked at her and  
shook his head unhappily. "I did, but they wouldn't be worth stopping at.  
They were all very tiny islands with no people on them," He said. "That's  
perfect. Just when we absolutely need a pit stop, there's no place  
around!" Tetra said, throwing her hands into the air.  
"Just don't get mad at me. I'm not the one who made the islands of the  
Great Sea the way they were," The boy said. "That's because you couldn't  
have, silly!" Tetra said, swiping at his head. He ducked and said, "You're  
not in a very good mood, are you?" "What was your first guess?" Tetra said  
sarcastically. "If you're going to be like that, I might as well just go  
back to sailing the ocean by myself. A silent boat would be better company  
than you when you're in a bad mood, so maybe I should go?" The boy said.  
"Then, why don't you?" Tetra asked frustration.  
The boy frowned for a moment before starting to untie the ropes that held  
his boat. "You know, Tetra," He said, pausing for a moment and turning to  
face her, "I'm going to find some island where we can stop. And, when I  
do, I hope you aren't going to be as short tempered as you are now." Then,  
he climbed into his boat and fully untied the ropes, allowing him to go  
back to the sea.  
Tetra watched him leave and then went into the hold with an exasperated  
growl. She went into her room and shut the door behind her, locking it.  
She flopped down onto her bed and stared at the wall for some amount of  
time. Why does Link always make me feel guilty when I snap at anyone when  
I'm annoyed? Ugh! I hate it when this sort of thing happens! She thought,  
rolling over onto her back. I wonder what Link thinks he's gonna do until  
he finds someplace. He can sail halfway across the Great Sea, for all I  
care, but we really need to find someplace to land and soon, or we'll be in  
hot water provisions-wise! She thought as she stared blankly at the  
ceiling.  
I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid! Tetra mentally smacked herself.  
Sheesh, Tetra! The way you're thinking, somebody might think you're fond  
of him! Get a grip, girl! She scolded.  
  
Author: Oh well, not much happened after that. It got dark, they dropped  
anchor, and then they all went to bed. Like I said, not much happened.  
That is, until the next morning.  
Nayru: Are you just going to leave them there at a cliffhanger like that?  
Author: Yes! And if you want to know why, because I'm spiteful.  
Author: Oh, and if you haven't noticed, the goddesses, maybe some of the  
other characters, and me will often argue throughout different times. Just  
warning you. Okay? Please read and review. If I get a review, I'll put  
up the next chapter. 


	3. Chapter 3: To Dragon Roost Island They G...

Author: Thank you, my reviewers: Ultimate TH, Dark Dragon, and Ruby-sama  
4.5! I'm posting the nest chapter now! Oh, and now I will refer to myself  
as Aria.  
Niko: Uh, this doesn't look like the ship.  
Aria: ACK! WHAT IS NIKO DOING HERE?  
Niko: Eep!  
Aria: SEND HIM BACK! HE'S THE COMEDIC RELIEF! *waves hand anxiously*  
Niko: *disappears in flash of light*  
Aria: Sorry about that. Okay, on to the story!  
Disclaimer guy: You forgot something.  
Aria: Oh yeah. Sorry about not getting on this earlier, so I do not own  
the Legend of Zelda games! Now can we get on with the story?  
Disclaimer guy: Yes.  
Aria: Thank you! Sheesh!  
  
Chapter 3: To Dragon Roost Island They Go  
  
The next morning, Mako spotted Link floating next to the ship and when they  
heaved him and his boat aboard, he looked very excited. "You'll never  
guess what I found!" He said, his face rimmed with enthusiasm. "Well,  
then, why don't you tell us?" Tetra asked.  
  
"We're near Dragon Roost Island!" He said. "Isn't that were the Rito  
live?" Nudge said. Link nodded vehemently and said, "If it's okay, we  
could stop there. The Rito are my friends and I haven't been there in a  
long time." Tetra smiled at Link's excitement at being so close to a place  
he hadn't been to in a while.  
  
"I don't know, kid. The only way we'll go there is if we head a little  
more to the north and Miss Tetra would have to okay it first," Gonzo said.  
"Going to the island is no problem with me. Anyway, it would be a good  
chance to apologize to that Rito postman that we tricked into telling us  
about Jabun," Tetra said, grinning at the astonished stares from her crew.  
  
Link smiled happily and then said, "By the way, we have to go northeast to  
reach Dragon Roost, not north." "But the sea chart we have here says that  
the island is north of our current location," Gonzo said, holding the chart  
out of reference. Link looked at the map and gave an ironic grin.  
  
"I hate to correct you again, but this sea chart is slightly out of  
proportion. The one I have was made by the people who live in the sea  
itself," Link said, taking out his sea chart and comparing it to the other  
one.  
  
"And who exactly made your map?" Nudge asked, half in amusement, half in  
wonder. "The Mermen did," Link replied. "The who?" Niko asked. "The  
Mermen. They're a race of fish that can talk and have human-like faces.  
They're actually really friendly when you give them some bait," Link said,  
grinning at the disbelieving faces of the other pirates.  
  
"Kid, you're gonna have to show us these talking fish for us to believe  
that story," Mako said. Link rolled his eyes and took a small pink bag out  
of his pocket. He walked to the side of the ship and took a handful of  
bait out of the bag, while everyone else followed.  
  
Link tossed the bait out onto the water and, almost immediately, the shape  
of a fish appeared under the water and the bait disappeared in a few  
bubbles. Soon, the head of a small blue fish with a human-like face popped  
out of the water.  
  
"Hey, small fry! I haven't seen you around here for a long time!" The fish  
said. "It's nice to see you too! Do you know much further it is to Dragon  
Roost Island?" Link called down to the fish. The fish seemed to glance  
over its shoulder and said, "It's not too much further, fry. If you keep  
going northeast, you'll be there in a jiffy!" "Thanks! Bye!" Link called  
as the fish disappeared under the water again and swam away.  
  
When Link turned around again, he was grinning smugly at the pirates, most  
of whom had their eyes popping out of their heads. Tetra, however, was  
choking with laughter. "It really can talk! You all should see your  
faces!" She said, still laughing.  
  
"How did.I mean, what in the.?" Niko stammered, still too surprised to  
speak clearly. "I wouldn't try to understand it; you'll only confuse  
yourself more," Link said, trying to keep himself from laughing as well.  
  
When Tetra stopped laughing and the pirates got over their shock at seeing  
a talking fish and their embarrassment at being proven wrong by Link, they  
set sail for Dragon Roost Island to the northeast. (Sorry, I have to keep  
rubbing it in)  
  
"Land ho!" Zuko yelled from the crow's nest. "Yeah, we can see it, Zuko!"  
Mako yelled back. They all could see the large island ahead of them and,  
with a telescope, they could also see the large red dragon perched atop the  
peak.  
  
"What exactly is that thing?" Gonzo said, staring at the red spot atop the  
mountain. Tetra raised and eyebrow critically and Link said, "You mean  
that you don't know? That's Valoo up there. You know, the sky spirit?"  
"That what?" Gonzo said. "The sky spirit. I'm starting to wonder if  
anyone ever listens to a word I say anymore," Link said. "Nah, he just  
doesn't know much about spirits and gods and stuff like that," Mako said,  
elbowing Gonzo in the ribs. "Hey, that hurts!" Gonzo said. "Then, pay  
attention, moron!" Mako replied.  
  
"So, who's goin' ashore?" Niko asked. "Well, of course I'm going ashore,"  
Tetra began. "Link knows the way, so he's coming. That just leaves room  
for one more person." She looked around at her crew, making mental notes  
as to who would be the best to bring along.  
  
"Hmmm, Niko, you need to stay behind to finish washing the decks. Senza,  
you should stay in order to keep everyone else in line. Zuko, you should  
stay here to keep watch. Nudge, you should be here to help out. That just  
leaves Mako and Gonzo," Tetra said. The two pirates exchanged glances and  
looked back at their leader.  
  
"Hmmm.," Tetra mumbled, purposely building the suspense. "Okay, because  
Mako still needs to take inventory on the cargo, Gonzo's going," Tetra  
said, and Gonzo immediately grinned. "Oh, quit smiling like that! Let's  
get on the island before I change my mind," Tetra scolded.  
  
Because it was taking them a while to unhitch the small rowboat to take  
them to the island, Link got impatient and asked, "How much longer is this  
going to take?" "It wouldn't take us so long to actually get the boat  
ready if someone hadn't been neglecting his job," Tetra said, glaring at  
Mako. Link sighed and said, "Well, I'll meet you all on the island."  
Then, he pulled a strange green leaf out of his pocket and jumped over the  
side.  
  
"Is he crazy?" Tetra yelled and ran over to the side of the ship. Instead  
of seeing Link swimming through the deep water, she saw him gliding over  
the water by using the leaf like a parachute. "How in the.?" Tetra said in  
disbelief and she shook her head. "I'll never get over him pulling stunts  
like that," She muttered to herself.  
  
Just then, Nudge tapped her on the shoulder and said that the boat was  
finally ready. She and Gonzo climbed into the little rowboat and the other  
pirates lowered them to the water.  
  
After Gonzo had rowed the boat to the shoreline, Link was sitting on the  
beach with a merry grin on his face. "Oh, will you stop that? It's bad  
enough that you scared me by jumping off the ship, but you don't have to  
rub it in," Tetra said. "Sorry, but you should have seen the look on your  
face when I did," Link said, still smiling.  
  
"Where'd you get that thing and what is it?" Tetra asked. "It's called a  
Deku leaf and the Deku Tree in Forest Haven gave it to me himself," Link  
replied. "So, it allows you to fly. Now I see how you got onto our ship  
when we were on Windfall," Tetra said. "Uh-huh," Link said, just as a  
voice called out his name.  
  
They all turned to see a young Rito boy flying towards them, who was  
accompanied by a Rito girl. "Hi, Link! Hello, Tetra! It's been a long  
time!" The boy said when he landed. "Hello, Komali! I see that you've  
been flying a lot!" Link said. "He sure has! That's how he found the  
Earth Temple!" The girl said.  
  
"Hey, aren't you the Sage of that Temple in the southern end of the Great  
Sea?" Gonzo said. The girl nodded and said, "I'll bet you forgot my name  
already." Gonzo flushed and said, "Uh, well, sort of. It sounds like  
middle or something doesn't it?" "It's Medli," She corrected. "Right;  
Medli. That's your name. Medli," Gonzo said.  
  
"So, what have you all been up to? Quill told us that you left Outset  
Island two weeks ago," Komali said. "You sure hear about a lot when you're  
a postman," Link remarked. Medli nodded and said, "It's a good thing that  
you're here. Valoo said that there's something strange happening east of  
Dragon Roost Island." Link frowned and asked, "What did he mean by that?"  
Medli shrugged and said, "He wouldn't tell me. Maybe he'll tell me later."  
Though he still looked troubled, Link nodded in agreement.  
  
"So, what exactly are all of you doing here on Dragon Roost?" Komali asked,  
changing the subject. "We were close by so we decided to visit," Tetra  
explained. "Then, you should come up and meet the rest of the aerie!  
They'll be thrilled to see you!" Komali said. "Sure," Tetra said. "But,  
how will we get up there? It's not like we have wings and can fly," Gonzo  
said. "That's easy. Link knows the way up to the village by land. We'll  
meet you when you get there. Bye for now!" Medli said as she and Komali  
spread their wings and flew away.  
  
"So, how do we get up there?" Tetra asked when the pair was out of sight.  
"Follow me," Link said and he started running towards their right. He  
showed them how to get to the wooden path that led to the village by first  
finding the path that led from the beach and then climbing up to large  
stone blocks to reach the path.  
  
"For one little kid, he sure is fast," Gonzo panted as he followed Link and  
Tetra up the path. "I had to be or I wouldn't have lasted as long on my  
journeys as I did," Link said without stopping.  
  
They finally reached a small landing that led into a small cave that  
emanated a soft light and they could hear voices coming from within. Link  
stopped and let Gonzo catch his breath while Tetra looked out over the  
scenery she could see from her high place.  
  
"This island is awfully big and we aren't even near the top, are we?" She  
said. Link nodded and Gonzo stood up straight. "I'm okay now," He said.  
"Good, then let's get inside," Link said, walking into the cave.  
  
When they entered, they saw a large, spacious room with a hole at the top,  
obviously for members of tribe to fly out of, and there was a ramp that led  
to the upper room above. A Rito postman was walking down the ramp,  
carrying a clipboard and muttering things to himself. There seemed to be a  
lot of activity going on, but Komali was waving to them from the upper  
floor.  
  
"Hey! Come up here!" He called. "Come on!" Link said to Tetra and Gonzo,  
but they didn't move right away. "I had no idea that their home looked  
like this!" Tetra said, looking around her. "It's pretty interesting,  
isn't it? I was kinda surprised too when I first saw this place," Link  
said.  
  
They all walked up to the second floor and when they did, Komali had  
another Rito next to him. "Quill!" Link said, glad to see his friend.  
"Hello, Link! Your sister said that you left with the pirates, so I  
figured that you'd turn up soon. I just didn't expect it to be here," The  
Rito postman said.  
  
He turned and saw Tetra and Gonzo and he squirmed a little. "Ah, about  
that information I slipped." He began. "Don't worry; we didn't and we  
won't tell anyone about it," Tetra assured him. "Thank you. I was just  
nervous that the others might not think that I'm reliable anymore," Quill  
said. "It was mostly our fault that you told us anyway, so we wouldn't  
tell," Gonzo said.  
  
Quill nodded and Link asked, "So, where did Medli go?" "She said that she  
was going to see if Valoo would tell her anything more about what's going  
on in the east. Don't tell anyone, but I don't think that she'll get  
anything more than she already has," Komali said.  
  
"That's not good. If something's wrong, someone, at least, should be  
told," Link said. "I think that my father knows, but he'll never tell us.  
Anyway, if it was really bad, then the entire tribe would know," Komali  
said. "But, still; what if it is really bad and we don't realize it yet?"  
Tetra said. "If you're afraid that the shadow is coming back, I wouldn't  
worry about it. You did defeat him, after all," Komali said. "Yeah, but  
he escaped once; what if he could do the same thing again? Then, we'd be  
right back to where we started!" Tetra said. Komali looked thoughtful for  
a moment and then said, "You're right about that. You should mention it to  
Medli or to one of the spirits."  
  
Just then, Medli came running towards them from one of the openings. "You  
won't believe this, but Valoo told me that if you want to know about the  
area to the west, you should go talk to the Deku Tree!" She said  
breathlessly. "Why don't you catch your breath first?" Tetra said. Medli  
nodded and took a deep breath.  
  
"So, why did Valoo say that the Deku Tree would know?" Link asked. "He  
said that there's some ancient forest or rather there and the Deku Tree  
would know more about it," Medli replied. "So, who exactly is the Deku  
Tree?" Tetra asked. "He's the guardian of Forest Haven to the south. He's  
really ancient and wise, but he's very kind too. If there's a forest in  
the area that strange things are happening in, he'll be the one to know  
which one," Link said.  
  
"He's the person that that little tree person was babbling about a lot,  
isn't he?" Gonzo asked. "Yeah, and the little tree person is a Korok and  
his name is Makar," Link said. "Yeah, the Sage of the Wind Temple. We all  
know. So, Valoo said that the Deku Tree would have the right information,  
right?" Tetra asked.  
  
Medli nodded and Tetra said, "Well, then, as soon as we leave Dragon Roost,  
we'll set sail for Forest Haven." "There's only one little problem with  
that, Tetra," Link said. "And that is?" She asked. "It's nearly the time  
for the Koroks' yearly ceremony and they're afraid of most people," Link  
said. "Fine then; you and I will go into the Haven and the others can  
watch the ship," Tetra said. "And, I don't want to hear any buts from you  
or anyone else," She said to Gonzo. "I doubt that Link would lie about the  
Koroks being shy and seeing a bunch of pirates with big muscles, swords,  
bandannas, and such would probably scare them silly. So, no arguing!"  
  
She stopped to take a breath and the Rito chieftain came to greet them. He  
was very pleased to see Link and was intrigued with his friendship with  
Tetra's pirates. Nevertheless, he accepted them as friends, and his two  
bodyguards, Akoot and Skett, developed a friendly rapport with Gonzo, who  
was thrilled when they offered to show him some of their muscle-toning  
exercises. He spent most of the day swapping stories with them, while Link  
showed Tetra some of the other places he had visited during his first  
visit.  
  
Aria: Sorry I have to leave you on another cliffhanger, but I'm posting the  
next chapter too, so don't worry!  
Link: So, Tetra and I are pretty much the main characters throughout the  
story, right, Aria?  
Aria: Yes, Link. How do you like things so far?  
Link: I like it!  
Aria: It's so nice to have the characters like your stories! Please read  
and review! 


	4. Chapter 4: The Two Tell Each Other Their...

Aria: As promised, here's the fourth chapter! I hope you guys like it!  
Some parts are kinda tear-jerking, so if you're very sympathetic, go get a  
box of Kleenex now.  
Farore: Why are they tear-jerking?  
Aria: I'm not going to give away the good part! They have to find out on  
their own!  
Farore: But, that doesn't seem very fair.  
Aria: Well, I'm the author; I CAN'T give away parts of the story! I'd have  
packs of angry reviewers after my blood for giving away the surprise!  
Farore: But, still.  
Aria: Okay, we have to settle this on our own now. And so I don't EVER  
have to see that disclaimer guy again; I do not own the Legend of  
Zelda games or its characters! Now, back to the story!  
  
Chapter 4: The Two Tell Each Other Their Stories  
  
"So, you're sure that you want to see Dragon Roost Cavern? It's really  
dangerous," Link teased playfully. "If I've been kidnapped by a giant bird  
and fought a maniacal warlock; yes, Link, I'm very sure that I want to see  
the cavern," Tetra said. "Okay, but don't yell at me when you get burned,"  
Link said teasingly.  
  
"Why would I yell at you?" Tetra asked. Link looked at her complacently  
and said, "You order everyone else around." "Do not," Tetra retorted. "Do  
too," Link replied. "Okay, give me one example," Tetra said, putting her  
hands on her hips. "When you were ordering Gonzo around just this  
morning," Link said. "I was making sure that he got the idea," Tetra said  
defensively. "Still, you were acting like a tyrant," Link said.  
  
"Oh, and who gave you license to say that?" She asked. "I don't need  
anyone to tell me. You know very well that you let me get away with it,"  
Link said impishly. "Keep talking like that and I'll drop you in the next  
Gyrog feeding frenzy," Tetra warned. "I bet you won't," Link said. "I'll  
take that bet, smart ape!" Tetra said, giving him a friendly shove.  
  
"So, are you going to show me that cavern or not?" She asked. Link laughed  
and jerked his head towards one of the doors leading out of the village.  
"It's this way," He said, just as he broke into a run. "Link, you little  
brat! Just wait till I get my hands on you!" Tetra yelled as she chased  
after him. "You're gonna have to catch me first!" He replied.  
  
When Tetra came out of the village room, she saw a large spring bubbling up  
before her. There was a suspension bridge spanning the spring and Link was  
already on the other side with a smug grin on his face. "You'd better wipe  
that smirk off your face before I get over there!" Tetra said warningly.  
"Like I said, you're gonna have to catch me first!" Link replied.  
  
Tetra sighed and started to cross the bridge just as something shot out of  
the water and sprayed water all over her. She yelped in surprise and  
stumbled back, landing on her bottom hard and making the bridge wobble  
alarmingly.  
  
"Are you okay?" Link cried, running over to her. "What was that?" She  
spluttered. He looked after the object's receding form and said, "It was  
one of those nasty rats from inside the cavern." "That was a filthy rat?  
Wonderful! I just got scared silly by a rodent!" Tetra said sarcastically.  
"You really have to watch out for those; they can get really nasty if they  
feel like it," He said. "I'll make a note of that," She replied  
distastefully.  
  
He reached out a hand to help her up and she let him pull her to her feet.  
Then, when she was standing upright again, she slapped him across the face.  
"What was that for?" Link asked in surprise. "That was for being a smart  
alec, goofy," Tetra said. He rubbed his stinging cheek and said, "That  
still hurt." "Well, don't be such an annoyance next time," She said.  
  
However, when she saw the clearly hurt expression on his face, she sighed  
and said, "Oh, don't give me that pitiful look, Link. You're making me  
feel guilty. Alright, alright; I'm sorry for slapping you. Will you stop  
looking at me with that hurt face?" Link smiled slightly and said, "Now,  
that wasn't too hard, was it?" "Yes, it was. So, shut up or I'll slap you  
again." She said, smiling involuntarily. He brightened visibly and led her  
through the cavern.  
  
Finally, when they reached the top, Tetra peered out at the land below and  
winced. "I didn't think that we were this high," She said. "It is really  
high up here, but don't worry; I'll make sure that nothing happens to you,"  
Link said, trying to calm her. "I don't like very, very tall heights. I  
haven't ever since I was really young," She said, now looking very upset.  
  
"Why don't we get down from here? If it's scaring you, we shouldn't stay,"  
He said, taking her arm and leading her away from the edge. She nodded in  
agreement and backed away. However, when they turned to leave, the  
mountain shook and the pathway, which they had used to climb up, crumbled,  
leaving only small parts with large spaces between.  
  
"What happened?" Tetra asked in alarm when the mountain stopped shaking.  
"I don't know, but we'll have to go down the same way I had to one time,"  
Link said, taking a grappling hook and rope out. "How is that going to  
help?" Tetra asked, looking at the vertical drop between the few ledges  
that remained. Link pointed to the wooden poles that stretched out between  
the spaces and said, "I'll use the grappling hook to latch onto those poles  
and then we can swing from one ledge to the other."  
  
Then, he blushed and said, "But, the only way that I can get you back down  
there is if I carry you." "It'll be more than just a little awkward, don't  
you think?" Tetra said. "Yeah, I know, but it's the only way that we'll  
both get down the mountain at the same time. Unless, you want me to go on  
ahead and get help," He said. She shook her head and said, "No, I'll feel  
safer with you getting me down than with the Rito." He blushed again and  
said, "Okay."  
  
So, Link threw the hook over to the nearest pole and waited for it to get a  
firm hold. He tested it to make sure that it would support both of their  
weights. Tetra was a little shy about having to hold her arms around his  
neck while he swung them over to the next ledge, especially because she  
would have to be very close to him, but his attitude made her feel secure  
and she was quick to respond when he said that they could get across at  
last.  
  
"Hold on tight," Link warned as he tensed to jump. "Don't worry about  
that; just get us over to the other side!" Tetra replied. He nodded  
slightly, due to the fact that her head was right next to his. He tested  
the rope one last time and jumped.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the terrible oblivion  
beneath them as he swung to the next ledge. She kept her eyes shut until  
she felt the firm rock of the ledge beneath her feet and until Link said,  
"Tetra, we're on the ledge now." She blinked and found herself staring  
into his dark green eyes. She blushed and let go.  
  
"See? I told you that it wouldn't be that bad. I wish you would tell me  
why you're so terrified of heights," Link said. "I'll tell you when we get  
back on solid ground. I don't trust this ledge enough to tell that story  
right now," Tetra said. He nodded and said, "I understand. I want to get  
off this thing as soon as possible too."  
  
After three more ledges and three more stomach-turning swings, they landed  
back on the main path and Tetra was very glad to be on the firm rock of the  
mountain again. "So, why are you so afraid of heights? You said that you  
would tell me," Link said when they were standing on the overhang once  
more. "It's a long story, but I did say I'd tell you, so here goes," Tetra  
began.  
  
"Once, when I was still very little, my mother took me to a very high cliff  
on a remote island. She loved to go rock climbing and she took me with her  
on this venture. While the other pirates were struggling to climb up to  
the top, my mother and I had already reached the summit. I still remember  
her picking me up and showing me the spectacular view from the summit."  
  
"The sun was beginning to set and the sea was turning blue-violet as the  
sky turned lavender, red, orange, and gold. I remember that I could see  
for miles and enjoyed every minute of it. Just as the sun slipped over the  
horizon, the other pirates struggled their way up to the top and none of us  
saw the shadowy form of a ship coming closer to the island."  
  
"Just then, the entire world seemed to stop as the ship began to fire  
cannonballs at us. One of them hit the piece of cliff that my mother and I  
were standing on and it crumbled beneath us. One of the pirates was lucky  
enough to grab me before I fell, but he couldn't spare me the sight of  
watching as my mother plummeted to the ground."  
  
"They all scrambled down the cliff as quickly as they could, with me  
screaming for my mother the entire time. The ship slunk away before any of  
us could identify it, but we were all too worried about my mother."  
  
"When we did reach her, her back was broken in many places and she was  
already dying. She gave me the piece of the Triforce of Wisdom, without  
telling me its importance and told me to treasure it and to protect it at  
all costs. She also made me promise to take care of her goofball band of  
pirates. Just as I promised to do as she asked, her eyes closed and."  
Tetra broke off and pushed the tears away.  
  
Link had listened sympathetically, knowing exactly how she felt. When she  
stopped talking, he put a gentle hand on her shoulder and said, "It's  
alright, Tetra. I know how that can feel. I lost my parents in an  
accident when my sister was still a baby." She looked up at him and asked,  
"What happened?" He looked out at the clouds blowing through the sky and  
said, "My father was a great fisherman and my mother used to help him out  
on his boat. While they fished, they left Aryll and me with our grandma so  
that we would stay out of trouble."  
  
"One day, one of the people who often visited Outset went fishing right  
before a storm and his boat hit a reef and he started to sink. His friend  
got worried about him and asked my parents to find him. They were able to  
rescue him, but when they tried to head back to shore, the wind blew up and  
rammed their boat into the sharp rocks on one side of the island."  
  
He paused for a moment and then said, "We didn't find their bodies until  
they washed ashore and by then, my grandpa had already gone to pieces and  
died in his sleep." "That's horrible! Not many people know about that, do  
they?" Tetra asked. He shook his head. "They tried to hush it up so that  
the fishers would still come to the island. But, they made some rules that  
didn't allow anyone to go fishing if rain was on the way and everyone was  
warned to avoid going near the rocks on the other side of the island," He  
said sadly.  
  
"How could anyone be that insensitive? I mean, I can only imagine how  
miserable you must have been!" Tetra said. "The fact that Outset Island  
was a fishing village was the one thing that kept the island going. If the  
fishers had found out about the accident, they would have been afraid to  
come and the entire town would have suffered," Link said despondently.  
  
"I suppose that that's true, but that doesn't mean that they can act like  
it never happened! I imagine that your grandmother must have been very  
upset with having your parents and grandfather die and being left to care  
for you and your sister," Tetra said. He nodded and said, "It was hard for  
all of us, but the worst part was that I had trouble remembering them!"  
  
Tetra was taken aback, but she said, "What do you mean by you had trouble  
remembering them?" "What I meant was that I couldn't even remember what  
they looked like unless Grandma showed me a pictograph of them and I had  
trouble remembering the things that we used to do together," Link said,  
turning around.  
  
"I don't normally talk about my parents; it always makes me feel gloomy  
that I can hardly remember them. They've become not much more than a story  
to me now and that only adds to it. When Aryll was kidnapped, I was  
worried that I might lose another family member, who would someday be  
nothing more than a fond story."  
  
"The same thing happened when I came back to Outset during Ganondorf's  
eternal night curse and I found that Grandma had gotten sick with worry  
about Aryll and me. The one thing that scares me above everything else is  
the fear that I might lose someone who means something to me. If Ganondorf  
had known that and exploited my fear, then I'd be as useless as a pebble  
trying to block a flood," Link said.  
  
"Don't put yourself down like that, Link! You're a great hero and if it  
hadn't been for you, we'd all probably be Ganondorf's slaves by now," Tetra  
said. "I know this won't change anything, but when you think about all the  
good things that you achieved, I'm sure that you'll realize that everyone  
has a weakness that could destroy the very thing that makes them who they  
are. The trick is to turn that weakness into a strength and overcome it so  
that it can never be used against you. That's how I was able to get over  
my mother's death and become the person you know today!" Tetra said.  
  
Link spun around and an expression of gratitude adorned his face. "You're  
right, Tetra. Thanks!" He said happily and he gave her a quick hug.  
"You're welcome," Tetra replied, unable to say anything more from surprise.  
  
He smiled and ran over to open the door next to them. "Come on, Tetra!  
They're gonna start wondering whether we're dead or alive if we take much  
longer!" He called over his shoulder. "Coming!" She replied, feeling a  
strange fullness from the depths of her heart as she followed behind him.  
  
Aria: *sniffle* I love this kind of stuff!  
Din: Oh, blow your nose, you baby.  
Aria: WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!  
Din: Eep!  
Aria: *sparks fly from fingers and Din is turned into a crab (you know the  
ones that run around on the beaches)  
Din: *in very teeny, tiny voice* Change me back!  
Nayru: Ha! I think it suits you! You always have been a bit of a crab!  
Din: *glares at Nayru with beady eyes*  
Aria: *snicker* I agree with her; you are better suited to the crab look.  
Alright! I hope you liked this chapter. No cliffhangers this time!  
Please read and review! I'll be waiting! 


	5. Chapter 5: Girl Talk with Medli and Tetr...

Din: Ha, ha, ha! One of your reviewers said that Majora's mask is on the  
back of crabs! Now I shall conquer you all! Ha, ha, ha!  
Aria: *sweat drops* Uh, okay.Din is having a.weird moment. *turns to Farore  
and Nayru* Can't you two do something?  
Farore: She's just our sister. That doesn't mean we know how to stop her  
from being strange.  
Nayru: Ditto.  
Aria: *sweat drops again* Okay.Sorry for not reviewing yesterday; my mom  
was working at home and I couldn't get on the internet. I'm putting up two  
chapters again, though.  
Hired disclaimer announcer: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda  
games or their characters!  
Aria: I think you'll like this chapter; it's definitely lighthearted.  
  
Chapter 5: Girl Talk with Medli and Tetra  
  
"What happened to you two?" Medli asked when she saw Tetra and Link walk  
into the village. "When the mountain shook, we were afraid that you might  
have been climbing the mountain when it happened." "That's what happened,  
but we were on solid ground so we didn't fall and get hurt," Link  
explained.  
  
"Why did the mountain shake anyway?" Tetra asked. "Valoo had been flying  
around the mountain and he had a rather bad landing," Komali said. "So,  
that's why the entire thing shook," Tetra muttered to herself.  
  
"Why were you climbing up the mountain in the first place?" Komali asked.  
"Tetra wanted to see the cavern," Link replied. "You should be careful the  
next time you go adventuring in the cavern. If Valoo has another bad  
landing or the volcano itself starts rumbling, you might get stranded next  
time," Medli warned.  
  
Link and Tetra nodded in unison and another Rito, this time a female, came  
up to Komali and said something to him. "Hey, everyone! It's almost time  
for dinner!" He said. "That's good; we've been eating salted fish for  
weeks on the ship," Link said.  
  
"You said that you liked them, though," Tetra said. "Not as a steady  
diet," Link replied. Tetra shook her head and said, "I'll never fully  
understand you." "And, I don't believe you should. That would take the  
fun out of surprising you," Link said with a grin. "Oh, shut up, you,"  
Tetra said with a half-growl. Link laughed and they followed the others to  
the first floor where the cooks were bringing the food in from the kitchen.  
  
"Fresh fish and fruit are alright with you, isn't it?" Komali asked as he  
reached for an apple. They nodded and while everyone ate their dinner,  
they all chatted and Link, Tetra, and Gonzo told stories about some of  
their own adventures.  
  
"So, after I chopped off the Mothula's wings and destroyed it, the little  
door that had been blocked by bars opened and when I opened the chest  
inside, I found the boomerang and got out of there as quickly as possible!"  
Link said, making motions like those that had destroyed the monster inside  
the Forbidden Woods.  
  
"So, where exactly is the Forbidden Woods?" a Rito asked. "It's not far  
from Forest Haven. It used to be the home of the Koroks, but when it  
became invaded by monsters, they left and inhabited Forest Haven," Link  
answered. "So, we'll probably see the Forbidden Woods when we're heading  
to Forest Haven, right?" Gonzo asked. Link nodded and said, "We'll only  
see the outside, though. However, I don't think that you'd actually want  
to be inside the Woods in the first place. It's awful in there!"  
  
"So, why did you go in? And, how did you get there?" Komali asked. "The  
Deku Tree had asked me to rescue a Korok that had fallen into the Woods and  
he had given me the Deku Leaf so that I could glide towards the entrance,"  
Link replied. "That Korok was Makar, wasn't it? He told me that he fell  
into the Forbidden Woods and that you rescued him," Medli said.  
  
Link nodded in reply and Quill asked, "What precisely did you rescue him  
from? The Woods itself or from a monster inside?" Link grimaced and said,  
"There was a flower monster inside the Woods that Ganon had created. Its  
name was Kalle Demos, I think, and it, well, ate Makar!"  
  
Some of the Rito gasped and Medli said, "Makar didn't mention that! I  
wonder why he didn't say anything." "Probably because the entire  
experience shook him up too much. I mean, you wouldn't exactly want to  
remember being eaten alive, would you?" Tetra said. Medli looked  
thoughtful and said, "I suppose that you're right; I wouldn't!"  
  
"I'm sure that Makar was very grateful to be rescued, Link," Komali's  
father said. "He was, but he got upset when he remembered that he was now  
very late for the Koroks' annual ceremony!" Link said. "What is the  
ceremony for in the first place?" Tetra asked. "The ceremony's purpose is  
to help the Deku Tree produce a good harvest of tree seeds so that the  
Koroks can still go about and plant new forests," Link replied. "Well,  
that makes sense; the Koroks' job is to plant trees," Quill said. Link  
nodded briefly and then yawned widely.  
  
"It's getting late. Because of your great achievements, we often forget  
that you are still very young and need your rest. All of you should get to  
bed now," Komali's father said, standing up. "But, we still need to plan  
for tomorrow," Tetra protested as a Rito woman pushed her towards the ramp  
leading to the upper floor.  
  
"There's no need for that now. Link knows a way that's quicker that you  
can use to reach Forest Haven. Right now, what you need is to rest," Medli  
said, starting to walk upstairs. "Father, is it alright if Link shares my  
room?" Komali asked. "Yes, son, it is. But, get to bed soon and no  
staying up late," his father replied.  
  
Komali nodded and he and Link ran off towards the hall that led to his  
room. Medli led Tetra to her room, high above the others, with a large  
open window. "I hope that you don't mind," she said. "My room is like  
this so that it is easier for me to visit Valoo." "It's okay; I don't mind  
at all," Tetra said, looking around the room.  
  
It was rather plain, but there were a few shelves that were actually  
outcroppings of rock that had been smoothed and they were filled with many  
books, baskets, and pottery. A lamp was attached to one wall and a bright  
flame burned inside.  
  
Medli took the golden harp she carried off her back and laid it carefully  
on the only bare shelf. "That's a pretty instrument," Tetra said. "Link  
said that it had some importance to your being the Sage of the Earth  
Temple." "That's right. When he reached the Earth Temple and learned the  
'Earth God's Lyric', my ancestor instructed him to find someone who had a  
harp like hers. When he came back here, he conducted the lyric for me and  
when I played it, I was awakened to the fact that I was a Sage," Medli  
said.  
  
"How interesting," Tetra said, sitting down on the small chair near one  
wall. Medli looked at her and asked, "Is there something wrong?" "Um, no,  
of course not!" Tetra said. Medli looked puzzled, but she pulled a cot out  
from under her bed, along with a hand-woven blanket, sheets, and a fluffy  
pillow.  
  
"This is the best I can do," she said with a touch of humbleness. "We  
don't often receive visitors, so it's rather hard to accommodate them when  
they do come." Tetra smiled and said, "It's fine. You should try to sleep  
on my ship during a thunderstorm. That's uncomfortable." "I imagine so!  
But, I have no aspirations of living on the seas. I'm very content with my  
current jobs," Medli said. "I didn't think you would. If I had been born  
a Rito, I'd probably feel the same way. Why sail when you can fly?" Tetra  
joked.  
  
Medli giggled and said, "There is a downside to being a Rito, though. If  
you get your feathers wet, you can't fly at all! That's why none of us are  
sailors and we prefer to catch our fish on the wing with nets dragged  
through the shallow water." "Then, how is it that your postmen are able to  
fly in the rain?" Tetra asked. "I don't know. Not even I'm sure of that.  
You should ask Quill," Medli advised. "Oh, sure. That would be the smart  
thing to do," Tetra laughed.  
  
"Judging by the fact that you're a pirate and there are no other female  
pirates on your ship, I don't think that you're able to talk to many girls  
much," Medli said. "No, but there's always someone else to talk to," Tetra  
replied. "Like Link, for example?" Medli said slyly. Tetra blushed  
slightly and said, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Gonzo told me that you spend a lot of time talking to him and I was  
watching while you and he were having a mock argument," Medli said. "So,  
you were spying, in other words?" Tetra asked. "No, I just happened to be  
flying past and I watched as you two were flirting with each other," Medli  
said. "You like him, don't you?" Tetra blushed again and asked, "Like him  
in what context?" "Like him as in you like him more than a friend," Medli  
said. "Um, well, not exactly.Sort of." Tetra stammered.  
  
"You don't need to be shy about it," Medli said. "I won't tell anyone; I  
promise." "Okay, so I like him.a little; but I don't love him yet," Tetra  
said, blushing furiously. "That's okay. I understand. Though, you do  
have to admit, falling in love with Link wouldn't be that hard when you  
consider all of his good qualities," Medli said dreamily.  
  
"So, do you like him?" Tetra pressed. Medli shrugged and shook her head.  
"I certainly care about him, but I think that I'm falling for another  
person," She said. "And, who would that be?" Tetra asked. "Um.Well, I'm  
not absolutely sure about this, but I kind of like Komali," Medli said.  
"Komali? As in Prince Komali?" Tetra asked in disbelief.  
  
Medli reddened and said, "Well, after you and Link came back from Hyrule  
and Makar and I were on your ship, Link told me that Komali said that he  
missed me, subtly, and I wanted to see him so much! He is still rather  
immature at times, but I can't shake off this feeling that there's  
something more there." Tetra raised an eyebrow, but she nodded and said,  
"I guess that that can be possible." "You won't tell if I won't?" Medli  
asked. "Okay," Tetra said, with a conspiratorial wink.  
  
Suddenly, someone knocked on Medli's door and Akoot poked his head in.  
"Come on, girls. Lights out," he said. "Okay, Akoot. We were just  
talking," Medli said. "Speaking of which, I still have to get those boys  
to go to sleep. Every time I walk into Komali's room, they pretend to be  
asleep. But, as soon as I walk out, I can hear them talking again," Akoot  
said, shaking his head.  
  
"They're mischievous boys. Of course they're pretending to be asleep to  
make you go away. Someone should have slipped some sleeping potion into  
their drinks during dinner," Tetra said. "What should I do about it then?"  
Akoot asked. "Try sneaking up on them; if that doesn't work, then threaten  
to make him eat brussel sprouts," Tetra said.  
  
"How come?" Akoot asked. "Aryll told me that her big brother hates bedtime  
and stays up as late as he can. She said that if you threaten to make him  
eat brussel sprouts if he doesn't go to sleep, he knocks out in a hurry; he  
hates brussel sprouts," Tetra said. "What about Komali?" Akoot asked.  
"He's been looking forward to you and Skett showing him some flying tricks  
hasn't he? Tell him that if he doesn't go to sleep, you two won't show  
him," Medli said.  
  
"Isn't that rather harsh, though?" Akoot asked. "I don't want them to get  
mad at me." "They'll get over it. Anyway, you've tried everything else.  
After all, you know that they'll never get to sleep otherwise; unless, you  
read something incredibly boring to them and bore them to sleep. But,  
then, they'll hate you," Medli said. "The only boring stuff that I could  
read them is the love letters that Skett writes to his girlfriend and if I  
did that, those two would die laughing!" Akoot said. "So, take our advice  
and get going!" Tetra said, springing to her feet and pushing him out of  
the room.  
  
"Thank goodness that he's gone finally!" Tetra said, flopping down on her  
cot. "Akoot means well, he just overanalyzes things," Medli said. "You  
can say that again!" Tetra said. There was another knock on the door and  
Tetra groaned.  
  
Medli opened the door to see who it was and Skett was standing there.  
"Thanks for the help, girls. They're sound asleep," he said. "You're  
welcome, Skett. But, we can't go to sleep with you and Akoot asking us how  
to get Link and Komali to go to sleep," Medli said. Skett nodded and bowed  
respectfully. "I just wanted to thank you. Good night!" He said before  
leaving.  
  
Medli walked over to her bed and sat down. "Now, I agree with you; that  
was rather annoying!" she said. "Let's forget about it and just go to  
sleep!" Tetra said, spreading the sheets and blanket over the cot and lying  
down. "Point well taken!" Medli agreed. She pulled back the blanket and  
covers of her bed and blew out the lantern. As they both fell into a  
contented slumber, the sound of the waves crashing against the beach  
outside provided a gentle music that accompanied the chirping of the  
crickets in a soft lullaby.  
  
Aria: Okay, I know that there aren't any female Rito in the Rito aerie on  
Dragon Roost Island in the game, but does anyone know where else they could  
be? It was rather wicked of me to embarrass poor Tetra like that, but it  
does make the story more interesting. And, about Medli's room; I had to  
make up something! Please read and review! 


	6. Chapter 6: Kindred Connecting, Mysteriou...

Aria: Here's the sixth chapter, as promised! Again, I've put in a little,  
ahem, slightly romantic scene between Link and Tetra. I hope you like it!  
Hired announcer guy: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games or  
their characters! Also, 'words' are quotations when someone is talking or  
someone's thoughts; "words" are someone speaking. Got it?  
Aria: That's the guy I hired to do my disclaimers and various info. He's  
annoying, but he's hired help after all. On with chapter six!  
  
Chapter 6: Kindred Connecting, Mysterious Seeds, and a Little Wind Waking  
  
When Tetra awoke the next morning, it was still very dim outside. She  
yawned and sat up in bed. Medli was still sound asleep, with her face  
buried in her pillow. Tetra quietly stole out of bed and opened the door  
as quietly as she could. She could hear the sounds of the members of the  
sleeping Rito tribe as she crept down the high stairs to the second floor  
of the village. She walked down the smooth ramp to the first floor and  
walked towards the hallway where Komali's room was.  
  
When she peeked into the room, she could see a grand bed in one corner with  
a sleeping figure in it and there was a cot nearby. When she looked  
closer, she saw that the cot was vacant and its occupant was gone! 'Where  
is he?' Tetra wondered as she shut the door carefully and crept out of the  
hallway. 'Did he already wake up? Or did something happen to him?' she  
thought as she left the cozy village.  
  
She looked around outside, but she couldn't see Link anywhere. Starting to  
become worried, she glanced at the beach below her. There was a pair of  
monuments on a tiny island only a bit away from the beach below her and she  
could see little crabs side-stepping their way across the sand. The  
landing she was standing on faced east and as the sun rose, it lit up the  
land with bright colors.  
  
Tetra glanced at the beach again and thought she saw something. She looked  
again and saw a small bit of green showing on the beach. She grinned and  
ran down the pathway to the large beach. She remembered passing by a  
tunnel on the beach when Link had led them to the village and when she came  
to it again, she could clearly see a boy in green with blond hair sitting  
on the small beach on the other side.  
  
She walked through the tunnel and saw that Link was holding something in  
his hand and he kept glancing back at the rising sun. She walked up  
silently behind him and said, "It's awfully early to be already awake,  
isn't it, Link? Or do you really believe in the theory of the early bird  
and the worm?" He jumped in surprise and turned to see her. "Tetra!  
Don't do that! You scared the heck out of me!" he said. She smiled and  
sat down next to him. "So, why are you up this early?" she asked. "I, uh,  
wanted to draw the sunrise," he said with modesty, showing her the sketch  
he had been working on.  
  
She gazed at the fine lines of the intricate details of the drawing and was  
surprised. "You never told me that you were an artist, Link. This is  
beautiful," Tetra said. He smiled with modest pride and said, "Do you  
really think that? I never told anyone because I thought that no one would  
think that my drawings were good. I have a whole bunch of them back at my  
house on Outset."  
  
"So, why did you come to this place to draw the sunrise?" she asked.  
"Because, this is one of the best places on Dragon Roost to watch the sun  
rise and because that monument over there adds something to the picture,"  
he explained as he kept sketching. "What are those monuments for?" Tetra  
asked. "Oh, those?" Link said, picking up his eraser and removing a  
mistake briefly. "They're Zephos' and Cyclos'. They're the wind gods."  
  
Then, he stood up and compared the sketch to the sunrise. He put the  
picture down and took a small red picto box out. He quickly snapped a  
pictograph of the sunrise and then, gave it a shake. "How is that going to  
help? I heard that those things only print pictures in black and white,"  
Tetra said.  
  
"Not this one," Link said, patting the small machine with pride. "After I  
caught a forest firefly from Forest Haven, the pictographer on Windfall  
Island upgraded my picto box so that it can print color pictos. See?" he  
said, showing her the pictograph. She looked at it briefly and saw that it  
did have all the color. "So, how are you going to color that thing?" Tetra  
asked. "I'm not sure yet, but I know that I'll come up with something,"  
Link answered.  
  
"Hoy! Link! Tetra! Where are you?" someone yelled. "Sounds like they're  
getting their feathers in a knot," Tetra said with a mocking grin. "We'd  
better get back or they'll think that we've been murdered or something."  
Link caught on to her joke and smiled. He picked up his sketch and picto  
box while Tetra waited. They walked back to the Rito village and saw Gonzo  
running over to them just as he spotted them.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness that nothing happened to you!" he said, rubbing worry  
tears out of his eyes. "When Medli and the prince saw that both of your  
bunks were empty, we all thought that you mighta' been kidnapped or  
something!" "Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound, Gonzo? Get a  
grip!" Tetra scolded. "Yes, ma'am; but where were you?" he asked. "I woke  
up early and went for a walk and Tetra also woke up early and came outside  
for some fresh air. Right, Tetra?" Link said. Tetra gave him a perceptive  
look and winked before saying, "Yeah, that's exactly right." "Well, then,  
why don't we get back to the village?" Gonzo said, stepping aside. The two  
nodded and started walking back to the path leading to the village.  
  
As they walked back to the village, Tetra noticed that Link and Gonzo were  
slowing down. She turned around to see Gonzo whispering something to Link.  
"Hey, what were talking about?" Tetra asked. "Uh, Gonzo just wanted to  
know if Niko still considers me a swabbie or not," Link said glibly. She  
looked at him doubtfully and turned to continue along the path.  
  
When they reached the village, everyone in the Rito tribe was glad to see  
that nothing had happened. Medli wasn't there because she was talking to  
Valoo. Komali had gone out for an early morning flight and when he  
returned, it was already time for breakfast. Link finished early and when  
he did, he ran up to the second floor. Meanwhile, Tetra and Gonzo had gone  
back to the ship to tell the others about their next destination.  
  
"Where is he?" Tetra growled, looking back at the entrance to the Rito  
village. "Maybe he was delayed, Miss," Nudge said. "Still, he should have  
been back here by now. What could be keeping him?" Tetra wondered aloud.  
  
Suddenly, she spotted a Rito flying towards them, who was carrying someone  
on its feet. When the Rito got closer, they all could see that it was  
Komali and he was carrying Link. Komali flew close enough to the ship so  
that Link could drop out of the air and use his Deku leaf to float to the  
deck.  
  
"Thanks for the lift, Komali," Link said. "No problem! Akoot and Skett  
say that I should be carrying heavier things to make my wings stronger, so  
in the long run, this is helping me too!" Komali said, grinning. "I  
suddenly feel so featherweight," Link said sarcastically. Komali laughed  
and flew away, back to his village.  
  
"So, why are you late?" Tetra asked when Link had turned around. "I was  
talking to Baito and Quill and I lost track of time," he replied. "It  
figures," Tetra said exasperately. Abruptly, just as the ship was setting  
sail, they heard someone yell and start flying towards them. Medli flapped  
her way onto the ship deck, grasping something in her hand.  
  
"Medli, do you realize how crazy that was?" Link asked when she had landed,  
his voice etched with concern. "I know, but Valoo gave me this and told me  
to give it to you," She said, opening her hand to show them a small sack.  
"What's that?" Tetra asked. Medli untied the top and poured out some of  
the sack's contents.  
  
It was filled with tiny, oval-shaped seeds that were bright black and  
glistened in the sun. "Valoo called them temple flower seeds. He said  
that they're very old and that they used to grow in the sacred areas during  
ancient times. He said that if you're planning on visiting the forest to  
the southeast, you'll need these for some reason," Medli explained, pouring  
the seeds into the bag and tying it shut again.  
  
"How would seeds help us?" Link asked. Medli shrugged and smiled weakly.  
"I'm not sure, but maybe the great Deku Tree might have some ideas. Makar  
might too," she said. "Um, okay. But, I hope that he's right about this,"  
Link said, taking the sack of seeds. Medli nodded and took off into the  
air. "Good-bye, my friends, and good luck!" she called after them.  
  
"This is sure shaping up to be one heck of a mystery!" Tetra exclaimed  
jokingly. "First, we hear about some enigmatic forest that only an ancient  
tree knows about and then, a bagful of seeds is supposed to help us! I  
think that the gods have too much of a sense of humor at this point," She  
said. "It could be worse," Link said. "How?" She asked. "We could be  
going to a place that's full of elves that we have to save. You know, ones  
like that annoying Tingle," He said. "Ugh! After what you told me about  
him, I think I'd rather suffer this one!" she groaned.  
  
Link seemed to stare off into space for a moment before he said, "The wind  
isn't blowing in the right direction. It's blowing southwest and if we  
don't head straight for the south, we'll miss Forest Haven completely."  
"So, what can we do about it? It's not like we can tell the wind god that  
his breeze is heading in the wrong direction," Tetra said. Link gave her a  
pitying smile and said, "Oh ye of little faith. Watch this."  
  
Then, he drew a small silver wand out of his pocket and raised it into the  
air. The tip of the wand glowed slightly and a shimmer of sparkles seemed  
to follow its every movement. He swung the wand up, right, and then left  
in a steady motion. Suddenly, a breeze picked up and swirled around him.  
"A southern wind would be nice, if you please," Link seemed to say to no  
one. The breeze almost seemed to answer him as it shifted and started  
blowing southward.  
  
Link put the wand away and grinned at the incredulous look on Tetra's face.  
"You can control the wind? But, I didn't know the Wind Waker could do  
that! What else can you do?" she asked eventually. "That song just  
controls the direction of the wind; there's another song that can change  
night to day and day to night. That one's called the 'Song of Passing' and  
the one I just conducted was the 'Wind's Requiem'," Link said.  
  
"So, what other songs do you know?" Tetra asked. "Um, there's the 'Wind  
God's Aria', the 'Earth God's Lyric', the 'Command Melody', and the 'Ballad  
of Gales'," Link said, ticking each one off on his fingers. "What do all  
of those songs do?" She asked. "The 'Wind God's Aria' and the 'Earth God's  
Lyric' really don't have much use to me anymore, but the 'Command Melody'  
can allow me to control nearby things and the 'Ballad of Gales' lets me use  
cyclones to warp to certain places on the Great Sea," He explained.  
  
"Then, why don't we use one of those cyclones to get us across the ocean  
and to Forest Haven?" Tetra asked, tapping her foot impatiently. "Because,  
Cyclos won't like it and I think that this ship is too big for one of  
Cyclos' cyclones. They would rip it apart like twigs," Link said. Tetra  
sighed exasperately and said, "Then, I guess we'll just have to settle for  
the wind."  
  
Aria: Hate me if you must for the pirates not being able to use the  
cyclones, but I had to come up with some logical reason for them not to be  
able to use it! I want to add in some more chapters before they hit Forest  
Haven, so please understand. If you haven't already noticed, I'm not very  
fond of a particular annoying elf named Tingle. That dirty rotten little  
blankety-blank extorting pain in the blank!  
Link: *cringe* Aria really doesn't like that guy, does she?  
Tetra: I think it's because he charged 398 rupees to get a single Triforce  
chart deciphered.  
Aria: @#%$&*! &%#$@*! @&#$*%@#&$%*#!  
Link and Tetra: *exchange glances* Um, she's getting too worked up, so  
we'll say it instead: please read and review! See you next chapter! 


	7. Chapter 7: Look Out! It's a Gyrog Feedi...

Farore: Oh, come on, Aria! Will you please stop pouting and introduce the  
next chapter?  
Aria: NO! I still can't believe that one of my reviewers guessed what  
would happen in this chapter and was right! It's not fair! It takes the  
fun out of surprising them! *sits down cross-legged with annoyed expression  
on face*  
Farore: You're giving the *#$% surprise away, baka! Now get over here and  
introduce the story or we'll get Tingle to do it!  
Aria: *gets up in a hurry* NOT TINGLE! ANYTHING BUT HIM! HE'S SO  
FREAKING ANNOYING! NOT TO MENTION CHEAP!  
Din, Farore, and Nayru: THEN, INTRODUCE THE BLEEPING CHAPTER ALREADY!  
Aria: ALRIGHT ALREADY! You don't have to shout. Okay, this chapter is the  
first of the few catastrophes that our gallant heroes must endure before  
they reach the mysterious forest the Valoo spoke of. Let's see how they  
can handle a Gyrog feeding frenzy.  
Hired guy: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games or their  
characters! A Gyrog is a shark-like creature that swims around the Great  
Sea trying to knock unsuspecting people out of their boats. Occasionally,  
a group of Gyrogs will work together to try to take down a prey.  
Aria: *sweat drops* Uh, yeah. Okay, back to the story!  
  
Chapter 7: Look Out! It's a Gyrog Feeding Frenzy!  
  
Tetra leaned onto the railing of the ship and gazed out at the sea as it  
rippled beneath the ship. 'I wonder what this area must have been like  
before the gods flooded it. It might have been a valley or field,' Tetra  
thought, settling heavily onto her elbows. She was soon jolted out of her  
reverie by a sharp shift in the steady rocking of the ship. She fell back  
and lost her balance just as the ship jolted again.  
  
"Agh! What's going on?" Link cried from the crow's nest, where he and Zuko  
were clinging to the sides of the basket for dear life. Zuko peered over  
the edge and called out, "There's a whole team of Gyrogs ramming the ship!"  
"How are we supposed to attack them if we can't even stay still?" Tetra  
shouted, trying to pull herself up on the railing. "Miss Tetra, look out!"  
Senza yelled as one Gyrog leapt into the air and tried to bite her.  
  
Just as it was about to flop onto the deck, an arrow hurtled through the  
air and hit the Gyrog squarely on the dorsal fin. It screamed in pain and  
vanished in a cloud of dark purple smoke. The ship gave another lurch and  
suddenly, Link yelled as he lost his grip and fell.  
  
At the same time as Link would have hit the main deck with a sickening  
crash, another Gyrog rammed the ship's hull so hard that it tilted and he  
was able to grab the side railing before he fell into the water. As soon  
as the ship had righted itself, Link scrambled back onto the deck, out of  
reach of the snapping jaws of the Gyrogs.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tetra yelled over the din of the shouting pirates, the  
snaps and growls of the frustrated Gyrogs, and the thumps against the hull.  
"Yeah, but if we can't stop them, they'll put a hole in the ship!" Link  
called back. "So, what do you suggest we do?" Tetra asked. "I could use  
my boat to get down to their level and attack them," Link said. "That's  
crazy! They would eat you alive first!" she cried. The ship reeled again  
and Link said, "Do you have any better ideas? If we bomb them from the  
ship, we have more of a chance of blowing a hole in the ship open  
ourselves!"  
  
With that, he flung himself towards his boat and yanked it free of the  
ropes binding it. It plunged over the side of the ship, carrying Link with  
it. Tetra decided that she wasn't going to let him have all the "fun", so  
she called out, "Zuko! Nudge! Senza! Gonzo! Mako! Niko! Get up here  
or down here and let's try bashing these fish the next time they try to  
attack!" The pirates ran out from all over the ship and they quickly  
hatched a plan.  
  
"Hoy! Gyrog off the starboard bow!" Zuko yelled from the crow's nest.  
"Turn!" Tetra said as Gonzo, Nudge, and Senza threw their weight onto the  
steering wheel and shifted the ship. Just as the Gyrog leapt to attack, it  
collided with the hard wooden side of the ship as it swung to meet the  
enemy. The stunned monster fell back and was quickly felled by an accurate  
hit from Link's boomerang.  
  
They continued this plan until the last Gyrog had been destroyed. When  
they hauled Link and his boat back onto the ship, everyone was exhausted  
from the effort taken to free them from the onslaught.  
  
Aria: Okay, I know this chapter was short, but I'm posting the next two  
chapters with it. Why? Because the events from all three are very closely  
tied and I don't wanna confuse you. Please read and review! 


	8. Chapter 8: Tetra Sees Something Sinister

Aria: Alrighty then! Chapter eight! This one shows how things are going  
to get more dangerous for Link and Tetra and how Tetra has more wisdom into  
some things than she might think. And, if you're wondering; yes, I do like  
being cryptic.  
Hired guy: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games or their  
characters!  
Aria: *sweat drops* Um, I'm gonna go see the employment agency this guy  
came from. I'm starting to wonder whether he's programmed to say the same  
thing over and over again. Check out chapter eight!  
  
Chapter 8: Tetra Sees Something Sinister  
  
They decided not to travel any further that day, so they dropped the anchor  
and went to bed early.  
  
Well, everyone but Tetra, that is. She was still awake even though she  
could hear snores coming from her crew in the cargo bay. 'Why can't I go  
to sleep? Everyone else is out like a rock and I can't even keep my eyes  
closed,' Tetra thought irritably to herself. She swung her legs off her  
bed and stood up. She walked downstairs to the cargo bay, where she could  
see her crew sleeping on either the floor or the many crates stored down  
there.  
  
There was a small room on the other side of the cargo bay and she could see  
the light of a candle still burning there. 'He must have fallen asleep and  
didn't blow out the candle,' Tetra thought with amusement. She used the  
ropes hanging from the ceiling of the cargo bay to swing over to the room  
and entered it.  
  
The flickering candle rested on a small crate beside a small cot that was  
built into the wall. Link was sleeping peacefully on the cot and he looked  
very different from the courageous boy Tetra knew during the day than he  
did now. Other than the fact that his hat was resting on the crate, he was  
wearing pajamas, and his bright blond hair was spilling onto his face, he  
seemed much more helpless than ever before.  
  
Tetra noticed that he seemed to be clutching a letter or something in his  
hand and when she pried it free, she could see that it was actually a  
pictograph. It was all in black and white, but she could tell that the  
scenery in the pictograph's background was from Outset Island. There were  
six people in the picture; a man, a woman, a young boy probably no older  
than five or six, a small baby girl, an elderly woman who was short of  
stature, and an elderly man who was rather tall and spindly.  
  
Tetra took a closer look at the boy who was sitting on the shoulders of the  
man and gasped. She recognized the sweet, silly grin the boy had and  
realized that he was Link. She studied the faces of the toddler in the  
woman's arms and the elderly woman and saw that they were Link's sister and  
grandmother. She looked again at the smiling faces of the man, the woman,  
and the elderly man and saw that they all shared certain characteristics of  
Link's.  
  
She flipped the picture over and saw that there was a date written on the  
back, signifying that the picture had been taken at least seven years ago.  
'Could this picture be of Link's family before his parents died?' Tetra  
thought to herself. 'It had to be,' she thought. 'They all had the same  
bright blond hair and sincere way of smiling.' Tetra found it  
disheartening to think that three of the happy people in the picture were  
already gone.  
  
Suddenly, as she looked at it again, the picture began to change. The man,  
woman, and elderly man vanished, leaving behind only Link, his sister, and  
his grandmother. But, even that changed. Tetra tried to rip her gaze  
away, but it was almost as if the pictograph was holding her gaze to it.  
  
The three left in the picture aged until she recognized their current  
looks. Aryll and Link's grandmother seemed to fade slightly as Link  
himself changed. She could see determination and bravery in his face, but  
soon that all changed. His expression changed from one of confidence to  
one of terror and pain until.  
  
Tetra regained control over herself just as the last image appeared; Link  
laying on his back, with an ice-white face, his clothes soaked with blood  
and a glassy look in his blank, dulled, dark-green eyes. It was too real  
for comfort, but when she glanced at the picture again, it had returned to  
the picture of Link's family, seven years previous.  
  
She slipped the picture into Link's hand again and quietly crept back to  
her own room. She crawled into her bed again, but her mind was too plagued  
by the frightening image she had seen. 'Where did that come from? Was I  
just hallucinating from lack of sleep? Or was it real? Maybe it was a  
warning or something; but how? I'm probably making too much of a deal out  
of this. I must have just been seeing things because I'm tired.' She  
eventually drifted off to sleep, but it was neither a restful, nor a  
peaceful one.  
  
Aria: How'd you like it? I can't tell unless you send in a review, so send  
'em in! I bet you're wondering what chapter nine is about. Sorry, can't  
tell you. The union forbids it. *giggles callously* 


	9. Chapter 9: A Family Heirloom

Aria: Chapter nine! Can you feel the wonder of it all? Heck! We ain't  
even halfway to the end! And, I know 'cause I've written most of the rest.  
Hope you like this one. It gives some insight to who one of Link's  
ancestors might have been. Of course, I'm not going to tell you. Union  
rules.  
Hired guy: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games or their  
characters!  
Aria: Argh! What is this guy?! A robot?!  
  
Chapter 9: A Family Heirloom  
  
Earlier that day, after the Gyrogs had been destroyed, Link had retired to  
his small room. He pulled his mirror shield off and leaned it against the  
small crate that he used as a makeshift bedside table. When he took his  
hero's sword off, sheath and all, he paused to study it. He pulled it from  
the sheath and held it for a moment.  
  
There was a tendril of steel that seemed to wrap itself around the sword  
near the hilt and there was a scratch that marred it. He smiled grimly as  
he remembered how that scratch was obtained. He had been fighting off a  
warrior in the Tower of the Gods. They were called Darknuts and they wore  
mighty armor plating to protect them. He had realized that the only way to  
defeat the monster was to parry an attack and slash the leather straps that  
held the armor to the evil knight. When he had done so, the monster had  
reacted violently and had hacked at him in rage.  
  
It was too late for him to block with his shield and when Link had raised  
his sword to stop the blow, the steel had rung vehemently and he had been  
thrown back against the wall. He still remembered his cry of dismay when  
he saw the damage caused to the gift that Orca, the swordsman on Outset  
Island, had given to him. Perhaps that was what allowed him to destroy the  
terrible creature in a fit of fury. Nevertheless, the sword still bared  
the battle scar and it was depressing to think of how undeserving it was.  
  
Link slid the sword back into the sheath after giving it a quick polish and  
sharpening the edges. Then, he looked around warily to make sure that no  
one was watching him before he pulled a medium-sized package and a letter  
out. He tucked the package under his pillow for the moment and carefully  
opened the letter that was addressed to him in a messy, child's scrawl.  
  
'Hi Big Brother!,' the first sentence read. 'How are you? I hope that  
you're having a good time on your adventure with the pirates! Everyone  
here keeps wondering how you're doing and whether you're ever going to come  
back or not. Please come home when you can; Grandma misses you and worries  
about your safety every day. I know that wouldn't do anything really  
reckless, but when I was still traveling with the pirates, they said that  
you have a tendency to be really reckless and charge straight ahead into  
things without thinking.'  
  
'We had visitors from Windfall Island the other day. One of them was Sue-  
Belle's friend, Linda, and she brought her boyfriend, Anton, with her!  
They're both really nice and they told me that you and the pictographer on  
Windfall Island, Lenzo, helped them get together! Why didn't you tell  
anyone that you were such a romantic? Also, the teacher, Ms. Marie, came  
with them and she brought these four boys with her. They came here as a  
field trip and the boys told me that they think that you're the coolest guy  
they know! And, not long after, Lenzo came here himself! He says that  
you're a dedicated pictographer and the best assistant he's ever had!  
You're keeping secrets from us here, Big Brother.'  
  
'By the way, what was all that big, important, grown-up stuff you still had  
to do when you rescued me from the Forbidden Fortress? None of the pirates  
knew and the postman wouldn't tell anyone. And, why'd you take so long?  
Miss Tetra said that you'd be back really soon, but you didn't come back  
for days! Please try to at least send a letter to us here. I'm sure that  
the Rito postman won't mind; he thinks a lot of you. Love, your little  
sister, Aryll.'  
  
'P.S. The seagulls brought this back for me. I think that you'll get more  
use out of it than I will.'  
  
When Link had finished reading the letter, a blue rupee spilled out onto  
his lap. "Thanks for the extra pocket change, Aryll," He said, laughing  
softly. He was about to put the letter away when he noticed that there was  
another letter behind it. He pulled it away from the first and saw that it  
had been written in his grandmother's shaky penmanship.  
  
'Hello, my dear Link,' it began. 'This letter is accompanied by one from  
dear little Aryll, so you may find this one not as lighthearted. Things  
have been rather quiet without you running amuck through the grass and the  
Forest of Fairies, but we all miss you. Aryll has been learning how to  
make her own clothes from Sue-Belle and her friend, so when you come back,  
she says that she wants to wear clothes that she made all by herself so  
that you can see how grown-up she's getting. It's still very strange and  
saddening to me to remember how little the both of you used to be when your  
parents would leave you and Aryll with your grandfather and me, but I know  
that you're getting older and there's nothing that I can do to stop you  
from being yourself.'  
  
'I was cleaning out some old things from the basement with your sister's  
help and I found something that I should have given to you on your twelfth  
birthday. It was an heirloom from your grandfather's family and your  
father would have given it to you if he hadn't died seven years ago. It's  
very old and your grandfather always used to say that it came from the  
ancient time, when the legendary hero still protected the land. He even  
used to say that it may have even once belonged to the hero himself once.  
Nevertheless, the item that you'll find in the package with these letters  
is yours and you should treasure it. I also found a letter written to you  
from your parents with it and it is enclosed in the box. Be a good boy for  
your grandmother's sake and don't get yourself into too much trouble!  
Love, Grandma.'  
  
'P.S. I also put some of your favorite soup inside some tight bottles in  
the box for you. Aryll and I had a devil of a time making sure that it  
wouldn't spoil before you got it.'  
  
Link took the box out from under his pillow and cautiously opened it. Two  
bottles shone in the flickering light of his candle and a small velvet-  
covered box lay beside them, covering an aged letter beneath it. He gently  
lifted the bottles out and put them inside the small cooler that he used to  
keep such things fresh.  
  
Then, he turned back to the box and took the letter and velvet box out.  
The tiny box was rather dusty and smelled of mildew and the letter was  
brown with age. He was careful not to tear the paper as he unfolded the  
letter and the paper protested with soft rustles. The letter was written  
in an elegant script and was very old indeed. When he wondered about which  
of his parents had written the letter, a little voice in the depths of his  
mind reminded him of his grandmother saying that his mother had once been a  
talented calligrapher. As he read the letter, he couldn't stop the forlorn  
tears that fell.  
  
'To our wonderful son on his twelfth birthday;  
Link, this letter is to be given to you if by some chance that your father  
and I are not around on your coming-of-age. The item in the box with this  
letter has been passed down in your father's family for centuries, from the  
ancient kingdom itself. It was originally given to your ancestor by his  
own father over a thousand years ago when a terrible disaster struck the  
land. He was told that the item was a precious gift that had been given to  
him many years before by a person of great power. He was also instructed  
to never tell anyone about it unless they were part of the family. After  
this, your ancestor's father disappeared forever.'  
  
'Link, this heirloom has always been given to the oldest child in our  
family and they have always been told to treasure it above all others, as  
it may hold some mysteries beneath its harmless outlook. You are now old  
enough to understand the meaning of this gift and perhaps you may be able  
to understand the meaning of why it should be such a secret. Please take  
care of this treasure and always remember that your father and I love you  
and your sister more than life itself. Love, your mother, Lillian.'  
  
Link put the letter down and wiped the tears from his eyes and those that  
had fallen onto the page. He picked up the box from his lap and gently  
lifted the lid. A small, triangular, gold medallion winked up at him. A  
pattern of tiny flowers ran around the face of the medallion, giving it a  
border. It had a herald molded onto its surface in the shape of a bird  
with its wings spread and a set of three triangles above the tip of its  
beak, which formed a larger triangle with a space in the center.  
  
Link recognized the symbol; it was the emblem of the Triforce and of the  
lost kingdom of Hyrule. He took the medallion out of the box and saw that  
a fine golden chain was attached to it. He studied it for a moment, seeing  
that it was very old. 'What would my family be doing with an artifact from  
Hyrule? I wonder what it is even,' Link thought to himself. 'Maybe the  
Deku Tree might have some idea about what this is, because I certainly  
don't!' With that, he hung the medallion around his neck, which was  
surprisingly light, and tucked it into his clothes.  
  
Then, he noticed something tucked into the lid of the velvet box. He pried  
it loose and found himself looking at an old picture. He immediately  
recognized the people in the picture; they were his family! He recognized  
his grandmother, standing beside his grandfather, who dwarfed her with his  
height. He also knew the two people standing beside them; his parents. He  
smiled sadly at the giddy expression on his mother's face as she cuddled a  
squirming baby Aryll and the mimicking one on his father's face as he held  
a younger version of himself on his shoulders. His grandmother had always  
shown Aryll and him pictures of their parents and grandfather, saying that  
they all had the same unique shade of bright blond hair and fair skin.  
  
'We all look so happy here,' Link thought, looking up from the picture and  
at his weapons. 'But, now, Mom, Dad, and Grandpa are all gone and I've  
changed so much ever since my twelfth birthday! If that bird had never  
flown past Outset Island with Tetra, I might have never become the Hero of  
Wind and Ganondorf would have covered the Great Sea in darkness and revived  
Hyrule! But, even he said that I was fated to become what I am.'  
  
Link smiled inwardly to himself and got ready for bed. He pulled off his  
brown boots and set them beside his bed, along with his hat, which he laid  
on the crate. He poked his head outside of his door, to make sure that no  
one was coming downstairs, before he changed out of his green tunic and  
into his blue pajamas with orange bottoms. He turned down the thin covers  
of his cot and lay down.  
  
However, his mind was full and he picked up the picture of his long ago  
family. He curled onto his side and looked at the picture again. Now,  
instead of being a melancholy reminder of what had been lost to him, it was  
a gentle recall of how much his family cared about him. Soon, drowsiness  
set in and without remembering to blow out his candle, Link fell into a  
comforting slumber.  
  
Aria: Okay, I know what you're thinking: so this is what happened before  
Tetra spied on him? And, about Link being twelve when he first left Outset  
Island; because this is set two years after what happened during Legend of  
Zelda: The Wind Waker, what happens to Link and Tetra as they get closer  
makes more sense if they're fourteen. Okay? Anyway, I finally tied up the  
hired announcer guy so I can check to see if he's got a program in him or  
something. I've got to find better help these days! Please read and  
review! See you in chapter ten! 


	10. Chapter 10: Wake Up Call! It's Time to ...

Aria: Hiya! Sorry to disappoint the few people who thought that Link's  
family heirloom was the Ocarina of Time! *hint, hint!* Anyway, I found out  
that my monotonous hired announcer guy was not a robot; actually, he liked  
saying the same thing over and over again like a broken record. And, if  
you're wondering, I fired the guy. He was getting almost as annoying as  
you-know-who. *hint, hint again!* Well, I was in need of a new announcer  
person, so I went looking for one and found one who's more interesting than  
the last person. Please let me introduce my new announcer: Navi!  
Navi: Hi everyone! Yeah, I know I'm not from Wind Waker, but Aria doesn't  
care and she gave me a.what did you call it?  
Aria: Personality change.  
Navi: A personality change. So, now I won't spurt out annoying and  
virtually useless info. Instead, I get to read Aria's disclaimers and tell  
you things you might not know/remember!  
Aria: *in hushed voice* In other words, she's got the same job, just with a  
different person and different info.  
Navi: I HEARD THAT!  
Aria: So? I'm the author. You pull any funny business and you'll end up  
like Farore. I turned her into a frog for calling me a baka in chapter  
seven.  
Navi: Eep! Okay, I'll behave!  
Aria: Good. Now, do the disclaimers and we'll stop this endless chatter.  
Navi: The author, Aria Zephyr, does not own any of the Legend of Zelda  
games or the characters to whom she refers in her story. But, she does own  
the story and plot line, so no copying!  
Aria: Like I said, more interesting, but I didn't say more diverse. Okay,  
on with chapter ten! The beginning's a laugh, I warn you!  
  
Chapter 10: Wake Up Call! It's Time to Head to Forest Haven!  
  
"HEY! WAKE UP, SWABBIE!" someone yelled into Link's ear. Link yelped in  
surprise and tumbled off his cot. He looked around sleepily and saw Niko  
standing near his cot with a smug look on his face. "Ugh, what's the  
matter, Niko?" Link said, getting to his feet. "Miss Tetra says that we  
should get going soon and because your sea chart is the best, you gotta get  
up!" Niko said. "Did you have to yell in my ear like that?" Link said  
grumpily. "Yup," Niko replied. "Why?" Link asked. "Because, you were  
sleepin' there, so peaceful and all, and it was time to get up!" Niko said  
with a cheeky laugh.  
  
Link grumbled to himself as he remade his rumpled cot. "Can you at least  
go away so that I can get dressed in peace?" he asked finally. "Fine, but  
if you're late even by one second, old Niko here is gonna drag you out,  
whether you have your shirt on or not," Niko said, at last walking out of  
the room.  
  
Link sighed with relief and quickly grabbed his clothes out from underneath  
his cot. He tugged off his pajamas and swiftly folded them and placed them  
under the bed. He was pulling his boots on when Niko made a point of  
stomping into the room again. "Okay! Okay! I get the idea! I'm coming!  
Just let me grab my things and I'll be right up!" Link said exasperately,  
snatching up his sword, shield, bow, quiver, boomerang, and so forth.  
  
"It took ya long enough! The guys were wonderin' if you had jumped over  
the side last night," Niko teased as they walked up the stairs. Link  
groaned and opened the door. When they stepped through, Niko had the  
impudence to yell, "Hey everyone! Sleeping Beauty here is finally awake!"  
"We already know, Niko. We do have eyes, you know," Tetra said, walking up  
to them. "Then, I'll be getting back to work," Niko said, and with that,  
he vanished into the hold again.  
  
"Thank goodness he's gone!" Tetra said. "No kidding! Do you even know how  
he woke me up? He yelled at the top of his lungs, right in my ear! I  
thought that all heck had broken loose!" Link exclaimed. Tetra laughed and  
said, "If you don't want that to happen again, you should try to wake up  
before him. Then, you could prank him and when he woke up, something  
equally nasty would happen." "That's not such a bad idea," Link said with  
a playful smile. Then, they both burst out laughing.  
  
"So, I take it that you slept well," Tetra said as Link searched for their  
location on his sea chart. "Yeah, until a noise bomb was dropped in my  
ear," Link said jokingly. Tetra nodded with a smile and yawned sleepily.  
"Are you okay? You look kind of tired," Link said with concern. "Nah,  
it's nothing really. I just didn't sleep well last night. It's nothing to  
worry about," Tetra said vaguely. "Well, if you say so," Link said, taking  
the Wind Waker out of his pocket.  
  
"We need to head southeast before we hit Forest Haven. Those Gyrogs really  
threw us off course," Link said. "That's not surprising. At least it'll  
give those goons something to do so that they're not bored while we're  
gone," Tetra said. "What do you mean by that?" Link asked as he loosened  
up his arm for the "Wind's Requiem". "I mean, that they can stay here and  
check for any damages and fix them while we talk to the Deku Tree," Tetra  
replied. "Oh, okay. I get it," Link said as he turned around and  
conducted the song.  
  
After Link had changed the wind's direction so that it blew southeast,  
Tetra called for the pirates to ready the ship for sailing. They quickly  
got to work and they were soon sailing smoothly on the strong wind  
currents. "It's amazing that the wind has been blowing us in the right  
direction lately. It's almost like someone's telling it where to go,"  
Gonzo remarked as the ship was rocking steadily with the wind. When he had  
left for his other jobs, Tetra and Link had to stifle their laughter so  
that no one would notice.  
  
Soon, however, they could see two large islands appearing over the horizon  
and when Zuko peered through his telescope to look, he said that he could  
see what looked like a tree rising from the sea floor.  
  
"That's Forest Haven! We're nearly there!" Link said excitedly when he  
heard the news. "So, you're sure that you don't want any of us to come  
with you, Miss Tetra?" Gonzo asked as they approached the island. "Yes,  
Gonzo, I'm sure. Link already told me that since the shadow of the  
Forbidden Fortress is gone, Forest Haven is perfectly safe. And, anyway,  
if we did get into trouble, I'm sure that Link and I would be more than a  
match for any old monsters," Tetra said confidently. "If you say so,  
Miss," Gonzo said disappointedly, walking away.  
  
As they were nearly at the island, Link said to Tetra, "We shouldn't land  
the ship too close. It might scare the Koroks and the ship might beach  
itself on the shallow water." Tetra nodded and told Senza to keep the ship  
in the deeper water. Link unhitched his boat and waited for Tetra to climb  
in with him before he lowered it to the water. "We won't be gone long, so  
don't any of you swabbies goof off! Just remember to make sure that the  
ship wasn't damaged too much!" Tetra called up to the ship as Link directed  
the boat to Forest Haven.  
  
When Link stopped the boat, Tetra looked up at the island before her and  
asked, "So, this is Forest Haven? It's awfully big." "It has to be big;  
the Deku Tree fills up plenty of the inside. Just wait until you see it!"  
Link said. "I can imagine!" Tetra said as they clambered up the large  
steps to the pathway leading to the entrance.  
  
Suddenly, a large bud in front of them shuddered and a large plant with a  
gaping mouth popped up. "A Boko Baba!" Link groaned. "I thought that  
they'd have died by now!" "Well, obviously, they haven't!" Tetra said as  
she jumped out of the plant monster's way.  
  
"Okay, playtime is over!" Link said, taking his boomerang out and slicing  
the Boko Baba's large head off, destroying it. "How come it dies when its  
head is cut off?" Tetra said as Link picked up the seed the plant had  
dropped and cleaned the sap off his boomerang. "That's the weak spot. I  
guess that they rely on their heads so much for attacking and stuff that  
their heads get really heavy, making them an easy target," Link said with a  
shrug. "How annoying." Tetra said.  
  
Link nodded and they proceeded forward, taking out three more Boko Babas  
along the way until they reached a waterfall. "How do we cross that?"  
Tetra asked when she saw the water flowing past them. "We do the same  
thing we did at Dragon Roost; we use the grappling hook and swing," Link  
said, taking out the grappling hook. "Oh, well. It could be worse," Tetra  
said evasively.  
  
"I wouldn't say that, or it will get worse," Link said with a playful grin.  
"And, who taught you that?" Tetra asked good-naturedly. "My journeys did.  
If you say it can't get any worse or something like that, believe me,  
it'll get worse; much worse," Link said. "Oh great. That's just what we  
need; a jinx to mess things up," Tetra said sarcastically.  
  
Link laughed and he tossed the grappling hook over a pole sticking out from  
the guard wall. In about the same fashion that they had used to get to the  
ledges on Dragon Roost, Link and Tetra swung over to the next platform.  
They had to get rid of yet another Boko Baba, but they soon reached the  
entrance to Forest Haven. "Let's go!" Link said when they had reached the  
entrance, and soon, he had vanished into the darkness of the opening.  
Tetra ran after him and presently found herself enveloped in a humid gloom.  
  
Farore: Ribbit! *translates as: change me back!*  
Aria: Sorry, I'm enjoying this. If you hadn't called me a baka, I wouldn't  
have turned you into a frog. But, if you don't like being a frog, I could  
change you into something else. Like a dissected frog, for instance.  
Farore: Ribbit! *translates as: eep!*  
Navi: What's a baka?  
Aria: *sweat drops and slaps forehead* A baka is an idiot, baka.  
Navi: Oh, so that's what it means! Hey!  
Aria: *snickers* Gotcha there. Okay, I'm done with being spiteful. I hope  
you liked this chapter! Please read and review!  
Navi: Why are you asking them to do that when the next chapter is short?  
Aria: YOU'VE BEEN READING THE STORY, HAVEN'T YOU?  
Navi: Eek! *flies away quickly*  
Aria: See you in chapter eleven! That is, after I kill a blabber-mouth  
fairy. Come back here! 


	11. Chapter 11: Welcome to Forest Haven! Ho...

Aria: Well, thanks to Miss Blabber-mouth fairy over here, I'm posting  
chapter eleven along with chapter ten.  
Navi: But, you said it would be more convenient because there's a  
cliffhanger in the next chapter!  
Aria: Shut up! You're giving away the story! AGAIN!  
Navi: Eep! *shuts up*  
Aria: Memo to self: find spell to stop Navi from reading story and to stop  
Navi from spilling beans.  
Link: But, if Navi isn't talking and doesn't do the disclaimers, we'll  
never start the story.  
Aria: Good point, Link. Alright, Navi. Just say the disclaimers and only  
the disclaimers and let's get on with this.  
Navi: Y-yes, your greatness. The author, Aria Zephyr, does not own any of  
the Legend of Zelda games or the characters to whom she refers in her  
story. But, she does own the story and plot line, so no copying!  
Aria: Link, aren't you supposed to be in Forest Haven with Tetra?  
Link: Ack! She's gonna be so mad if I'm not there! Can you send me back?  
Please?  
Aria: Oh criminy. *waves hand and Link disappears*  
Navi: Shouldn't you check to see if he got there all right?  
Aria: Now she starts using her head?! Alright, I'll check. *disappears  
with popping sound*  
Navi: Okay, here's chapter eleven!  
  
Chapter 11: Welcome to Forest Haven! Home of the Great Deku Tree!  
  
"Wow." Tetra said when she looked around at the ancient forest facing her.  
There was a large stream rushing around her and Link's ankles and nearly up  
to their waists and it had a woodsy aroma to it that was wafted upward by  
the gentle breezes that flowed through the wood.  
  
"Come on; the Deku Tree is this way," Link said, pulling her arm gently and  
pointing ahead of them. They waded through the cool water and climbed up  
two miniature waterfalls before they reached the trees themselves. There  
was thick grass growing in patches on the forest floor, along with a  
strange looking flower bud.  
  
They walked ahead to where the water flowed from three tiny springs and  
they ended up stopping on a giant lily pad. There was a massive tree in  
front of it, which had a human-like face. When Link and Tetra stopped on  
the lily pad, it rose into the air and, out of surprise, Tetra lost her  
balance and fell down.  
  
"Oof!" she said. "Sorry; I should have warned you about that," Link said  
sheepishly. Just then, the tree's face moved and its eyes opened. "Ah,  
Link, it is you," the tree said in a deep voice. "We were not expecting  
you to come here on the day of our ceremony. Especially with a friend."  
"This is my friend, Tetra. She met Makar once and we came here to ask you  
about something," Link explained. "I'd be glad to answer any question you  
have, my boy; but, you do know that the ceremony must be completed before  
the sun sets," the tree replied. "I know; but, where are all ten of the  
Koroks?" Link asked. "Here we are!" a small voice called from the tree  
tops.  
  
Suddenly, eight small shapes jumped out from the very top of the tree's  
branches and by using the small leaves they held like helicopter blades,  
they were able to fly gently down to the top of the tree's face. "Are  
Linder and Makar late again?" Link asked when all of them had landed.  
"Alas, they are! But, they are always late and I do not think that Makar  
would be foolish enough to fall into the Forbidden Woods again," the tree  
said with a roguish twinkle in his eyes.  
  
Abruptly, they could hear two high-pitched voices coming from the opening  
high above them. "Hurry, Makar! The others are waiting for us and you  
were so very late!" one voice called urgently. "Yes, I know; but, I think  
that I've seen that ship and boat somewhere before." another voice replied.  
"We'll worry about that after the ceremony! We're late!" the first voice  
said vehemently.  
  
Soon, two more shapes descended into the forest. Like the others, they all  
looked like they were made of wood and they each had a leaf covering their  
faces like a mask. One had a leaf shaped like a four-leafed clover and was  
rather tall for a Korok. The other had a leaf shaped like an upside-down  
heart and was rather round and plump. They both fluttered for a moment in  
front of the large tree's face and started hurriedly explaining themselves.  
  
"I'm sorry, great Deku Tree! But, I was tending to the saplings I take  
care of and lost track of time! Then, I went looking for Makar and I when  
I found him, he was coming from the northwest!" the long one said. "It is  
all right, Linder. I was sure that you both would turn up before the  
sunset. But, what were you doing outside of Forest Haven, Makar?" the Deku  
Tree asked the other Korok. "Well, you see, I could tell you about it, but  
it would take too long and we only have so much time before the sun's face  
disappears over the vast seas!" Makar said.  
  
The Deku Tree laughed heartily and said, "That is very true, little forest  
child! But, have you not noticed that we have two visitors?" Makar  
whirled around quickly and spotted Link and Tetra standing on the raised  
lily pad. "Link! Miss Tetra! What an unexpected surprise!" he squealed  
in delight. He immediately flew down to the lily pad and started bouncing  
up and down with excitement.  
  
"Careful, Makar! You could break a hole in this thing," Link said  
playfully. "I haven't seen you since the Dark Lord was destroyed! I never  
guessed that you would be here!" Makar said, stopping his excited bouncing.  
"So, that's what you were doing," another Korok said, whose leaf was red  
and oval-shaped and who carried two stiff stalks. "Oops!" Makar squeaked.  
"Well, we'll find out all about whatever happened after the ceremony is  
completed. Now, everyone, it's about time for us to do so!" the Deku Tree  
said.  
  
All of the Koroks nodded in agreement and nine of them flew up to the ledge  
behind the lily pad that Link and Tetra were standing on. Makar took out a  
small violin and a long stick with two red berries hanging from it and he  
propped up his violin. "Ready everybody?" he asked jubilantly. "Yes!" was  
the unanimous reply. Makar turned to Link and asked quietly, "Link, could  
you conduct the 'Wind God's Aria' for me? I was hoping that I could play  
it for this year's ceremony." Link smiled good-naturedly and took out the  
Wind Waker.  
  
At last, with Link conducting for Makar, the Koroks' ceremony started while  
Tetra and the Deku Tree watched. When Makar stopped playing and the Koroks  
stopped singing, eight glowing seeds had dropped from the highest of the  
Deku Tree's branches and all except for Makar and the one Korok with the  
red, oval-shaped leaf, the Koroks jumped into the air and each caught a  
glowing seed.  
  
"How delightful!" one Korok cried. "This year's seeds seem better than the  
last!" chirped another. "Perhaps that song that Makar played for this year  
has something to do with it," one murmured. "Who knows? I certainly  
don't!" Linder said. "Well, it was lovely to see you all again!" one Korok  
said cheerfully. "I'll see you all next year!" another replied. "Good-  
bye, my friends!" the second-to-last called. "Makar, you must tell us  
where you learned that song sometime!" the last Korok said as they all rose  
and vanished.  
  
Aria: Navi, I can't believe that you stole my line! It's not fair!  
Navi: Well, you were gone for over an hour after I did start the story.  
And, you were taking too long to start it before you left.  
Aria: *throws hands into air* So, I accidentally sent myself to ancient  
Hyrule?! What's the big deal if I decided to take a look around?  
Navi: *sweat drops* You went horseback riding at the Lon Lon Ranch, swam to  
Zora's domain, and walked through the entire Temple of Time!  
Aria: So? I was curious. It's not like I changed time or anything. I  
totally erased my ever being there!  
Navi: But, you took so long just to enjoy yourself and didn't even bother  
to check on Link. What if he landed in ancient Hyrule instead of Forest  
Haven in his time?  
Aria: Then, don't you think I would've known? I landed where Forest Haven  
was in ancient Hyrule, lame brain!  
Navi: Oh.  
Aria: Anyway, Navi and I still have some, uh, kinks to work out, so this is  
the end of chapter eleven! Please read and review! 


	12. Chapter 12: Exchanged Stories

Aria: Okay, Navi and I have finally reached a common ground!  
Navi: But, I'm flying and you're sitting on a cloud.  
Aria: *sweat drops* Uh, not ground as in the ground. Ground as in  
something we both agree on.  
Navi: Ohhh! Now I get it! I think.  
Aria:*sweat drops again* Um, whatever, Navi. As I was saying, we talked  
over our differences for a while and finally came to an agreement.  
Navi: What she means is: if I don't annoy her, she won't turn me into an  
earthworm.  
Aria: *in irate voice* Navi, would you like me to turn you into an  
earthworm now and dissect you?  
Navi: Eep!  
Aria: Just do the disclaimers!  
Navi: Okey-dokey! The authoress, Aria Zephyr, does not own the Legend of  
Zelda games, their characters, etc. But, she does own this story, so no  
copying is allowed.  
Aria: *sweat drops for the third time* I know I'm sweat dropping! Sheesh!  
Navi, why'd you be so formal?  
Navi: I dunno.  
Aria: *sweat drops for the fourth time* Stop telling them that! The  
reviewers do know how to count, you know! Okay, in this chapter, the Deku  
Tree tells Link, Tetra, and Makar about certain things that happened after  
the Hero of Time vanished. Sorry, no more than that. I don't wanna give  
away the story. And, Navi, don't say okey-dokey. It's annoying.  
Navi: Okey-dokey!  
Aria: *covers face with hands* Good grief! Just read chapter twelve!  
  
Chapter 12: Exchanged Stories  
When all of them had left, the Deku Tree looked at Makar and said, "Now,  
Makar, you promised to tell us about why you were coming from the northwest  
to Forest Haven and why you know that particular song." Tetra noticed the  
mischievous look in the ancient tree's eyes and said, "You already know,  
don't you?" The Deku Tree laughed and said, "Indeed I do! It is no secret  
to me that the blood of the former sage of the Wind Temple runs in Makar's  
veins! I knew his predecessor well, I did! Fado was such a cheerful  
Kokiri!"  
  
"How did you know the 'Wind God's Aria'?" Link asked. The Deku Tree's face  
turned rather solemn and he looked at them. "Fado once played that song  
for me. Right here, in this very place. I was very surprised that he was  
chosen to be a sage, to say the least, but it was rather hard for us to rig  
up a way for him to leave Forest Haven. We had to find a way to repeat the  
same spell that had been used to let another Kokiri sage leave the shelter  
of this place," he said.  
  
"There was another sage who had been a Kokiri? Who? And, why couldn't  
they leave Forest Haven?" Link asked, though rather shocked. "Her name was  
Saria and she was one of the six sages who first helped to seal Ganon away.  
The Kokiri were not able to leave Forest Haven, because to do so would  
kill them. But, for Saria to be able to do what she was supposed to do, we  
had to find a way so that she could leave the forest," the Deku Tree  
explained.  
  
"Alas, she left one day to travel to the castle itself. She had been  
hearing rumors that something was going on there and she wanted to talk to  
one of her friends there about it. The poor girl never returned and soon  
after, it became apparent that we were all in danger once more," the Deku  
Tree said sadly. "What could have happened to her?" Tetra asked. "That  
should be obvious. I'll bet that Ganon found her and got rid of her," Link  
said in a serious voice. "That jerk! He deserved what happened to him!"  
Tetra said loudly.  
  
"How do you know about him?" the Deku Tree asked in confusion. "Uh-oh!  
Looks like we blew your cover, Tetra," Link said. "No kidding," she said.  
"How.what.?" the Deku Tree stuttered.  
Tetra and Link exchanged uncomfortable glances and soon, they began to tell  
about how Link had gotten the Master Sword, took it to try and defeat  
Ganon, ended up finding out that Tetra was related to the royal family of  
Hyrule, Link going off to find the new sages of the Earth and Wind temples,  
then searching for the eight shards of the Triforce of Courage, and finally  
returning to Hyrule to find that Ganon had kidnapped Zelda and taken her to  
his tower, then storming the tower itself, fighting all of Ganon's minion  
monsters again, and finally reaching the top of the tower, where Ganon  
separated the Triforce pieces from their holders and the King of Hyrule  
stopped him by asking the gods to save Link and Zelda and bury Hyrule  
forever under the waves.  
  
"And, you two children went through all of that?" the Deku Tree asked in  
disbelief when they had finished. They both nodded in reply and then the  
Deku Tree said, "It is understandable that when you were Zelda, Tetra, that  
you were able to use magic and were able to assist Link by temporarily  
paralyzing Ganon with the Light Arrows."  
  
"How is that?" Tetra asked. The Deku Tree chuckled and said, "For two  
young ones who have been tied to the ancient land before they were born,  
you certainly don't know much about Hyrule, do you?" "We only know about  
what the King of Hyrule and what the previous sages told us and what the  
old legend speaks about," Link said defensively. The Deku Tree nodded and  
said, "But, you really don't know anything more than that." He sighed and  
said, "I could tell you, but you must forgive me if I become a tad teary;  
remembering all of those that once lived then and are now gone is a heavy  
burden." "We understand," Tetra said, looking over her shoulder at Link,  
who nodded in agreement." "Ah, well then, I suppose I must tell you," the  
Deku Tree said.  
  
"Not many people remember who the Hero of Time was or who helped him were,  
but those of us who lived through Hyrule's fall do. He was a young lad,  
very much like Link in many aspects. But, he wasn't the only one who took  
an important role in sealing Ganon away for the first time. There was a  
princess of Hyrule when the Hero of Time saved it and she helped him. Her  
name, like yours, was Zelda and she was an enchantress. None who are  
amongst the living have ever seen her, as she spent much of her time in  
Castle Town and when she was out of it, she was always in disguise. She  
was still around when Ganon returned and her whereabouts vanished in the  
general chaos of evacuating the kingdom itself," the Deku Tree said.  
  
"Alas, she was still rather young when the tragedy happened and the Hero of  
Time never returned from his travels to help Hyrule," the Deku Tree said  
sadly. "Does anyone know where he went?" Link asked. "No, I'm afraid not.  
The boy had always been secretive about where he was going when he left  
Kokiri Village, probably because he didn't want anyone to worry or wish to  
leave the forest," the Deku Tree replied.  
  
"Hey! How do you know that?" Tetra asked. "Oh dear, I shouldn't have said  
that," the Deku Tree said. "Well, it's a long story, but to shorten it up,  
there was another Deku Tree before me that died when Ganon first threatened  
the kingdom and after he passed away, I was born and I knew the Hero of  
Time personally. He had been abandoned near Kokiri Village when he was  
still a baby and he grew up amongst them. When Ganon started to take  
power, the boy decided to leave the forest after he had learned that he was  
not a Kokiri, but a Hylian. Even after Ganon was sealed away, the Hero of  
Time felt a need to help others who were in distress, so he would often  
leave the safety of Kokiri Village to travel to distant lands."  
  
"One day, when he was I guess somewhere in his late twenties or early  
thirties, he left the forest and never returned. Saria went to go look for  
him and to find out what was happening in Castle Town, but not long after,  
Ganon returned in a furious rage and started to cover the land in darkness  
once more. Many hoped that the Hero of Time would come back from his  
travels once word of our plight reached him, but even after many messengers  
had been sent to find him, he never came. All the rest you already know;  
about how Ganon was sealed away once more and how the gods did so by  
covering Hyrule with water; but, many of us still wondered about what had  
happened to our lost friends."  
  
"During these incidents, Farore herself came to Forest Haven and told me  
that one of the Kokiri, Fado, had been chosen to be a sage of the Wind  
Temple in the northwest. Fado was thrilled with the thought that he could  
help this world somehow and he quickly agreed after the goddess and I had  
talked to him about it. She told him that in order for him to be a sage,  
he would have to leave Forest Haven and she told him that in order for him  
to do so, he would have to be given something with magical power and have a  
spell placed upon him so that he would not perish. Fado understood and  
after saying good-bye to everyone in Forest Haven, he left with her to meet  
the other chosen sage and the goddess, Nayru."  
  
"Fado tried to visit as often as he could, but because the temple was so  
far away and the waters in between here and there are so dangerous, it was  
hard for him. However, one day after he had not visited for many months, I  
awoke from a dream that something had happened to him and I found his  
little violin on this very lily pad. I knew that my dream may have been  
more than just so, but without the ability to travel myself, I could not  
make sure whether he was safe or not."  
  
"Eventually, after being isolated from the world for so long, the Kokiri  
dropped their human forms and became the Koroks that you now know. Farore  
had warned us about this. Because Ganon was not fully sealed away, his  
influence could still be felt in this world. Therefore, the Kokiri lost  
their ability to have eternal life and childhood and became the Koroks."  
  
"Anyway, moving on, Fado had married a Kokiri girl who had chosen to stay  
in Forest Haven while her husband attended to his duties. They had only  
one son, who was born a Korok due to his mother's transformation. After  
pining away for Fado and worrying constantly about him, Sylvie, Fado's  
wife, died leaving her son without any parents."  
"As time passed without much break from monotony, Farore visited again,  
this time she came with a different message. She said that there were few  
forests on the other islands and because of their transformation, the  
Koroks had the ability to leave Forest Haven. She also gave a new power to  
my leaves. If the Koroks or any other person who could use magic used my  
leaves, they could fly. She assigned each Korok an island on which they  
could tend trees and cause new forests to grow. Then, as abruptly as she  
came, Farore left again."  
  
"The Koroks at once set about to planting new trees, because the goddess  
had also told us that I could sprout seeds only once a year that the Koroks  
could use to plant new forests, but in order to obtain them, we would have  
to hold a sacred ceremony each year. And so, that is how the Koroks became  
forest planters."  
  
"This is not the end of my tale, however. Hundreds of years after the  
Koroks learned to fly and plant trees, one little Korok was born who seemed  
more special than the rest. He was Fado's great-grandson and he acted so  
much like his ancestor that I felt obligated to give him Fado's violin.  
Can you guess who that little scamp is?" the Deku Tree asked.  
  
"Makar!" Tetra and Link said in unison. "Me?" Makar said. The Deku Tree  
laughed and said, "You are most correct, my friends! Makar is Fado's great-  
grandson."  
  
"I doubt that Ganon knew that Fado had descendants when he murdered Fado  
and Laruto," Tetra said. "It is a good thing he did not! If he had, he  
would have come storming into my forest and would have ransacked it until  
there was nothing left and all of the Koroks were destroyed!" the Deku Tree  
said vehemently.  
  
"That goes without even saying it," Link said. The Deku Tree looked at him  
and asked, "Link, is there something that you did not tell me about?" "Uh,  
no, it's just that I was thinking about how easy it would have been for  
Ganon to destroy me in the beginning. He could have saved himself a lot of  
trouble if he'd had that bird crush me instead of throwing me across the  
sea," Link said. "Let's not talk about such morbid things. I sincerely  
hope that no one here is in a hurry to leave this world," Makar said. "No  
way!" Link said. "Not in this lifetime," Tetra agreed.  
  
"Well, why don't we stop chattering for the time being? I'm sure that  
you're very tired from your trip and I'm sure that Hollo would be more than  
happy to give you some potions that could replenish your strength," the  
Deku Tree said. "Um, okay," Link said with noticeable reluctance. "But,  
we didn't get to ask him about." Tetra protested. "It'll be easier for the  
Deku Tree to tell us if there aren't any Koroks in the direct area.  
Anyway, I'm really thirsty!" Link whispered to her. "Okay, but we do have  
to get back to the ship sometime this year, you know," Tetra said.  
  
They both jumped off the lily pad as the Deku Tree lowered it and Link led  
Tetra up a sloping hill into a small cave that smelled of herbs. "Hello,  
swordsman!" Hollo said with enthusiasm. "I see that your lady-friend has  
accompanied you!" He said, unmindful of the deep blush that had crested  
Link's face when he said so.  
  
"What can I help you with?" Hollo asked. "Er, could you turn these Boko  
Baba seeds into a Blue Potion for us, please?" Link asked, taking out eight  
Boko Baba seeds. "Of course I can! Just wait here for a moment!" Hollo  
said, taking the seeds.  
  
He leapt up the four tree stumps in the room that each led to another until  
he stopped at the last one which was right in front of a large bubbling  
cauldron that was emitting blue mist. He threw the seeds into the cauldron  
and did a small dance while saying, "Onjalla, manjalla, CHO-WAY!" A big  
puff of blue mist burst up into the air when he was finished and then he  
jumped down to the ground.  
  
"I'll need two empty bottles for these potions," he said. "Oh, here," Link  
replied, handing him two shiny clean bottles. Hollo jumped up to his high  
perch again and brought back the bottles, except now they were full of a  
bright blue liquid. "Here you go!" Hollo said, handing them the bottles.  
"Please come back soon!" he called as they exited.  
  
"So, what is this stuff?" Tetra said, looking at the contents of the bottle  
she held. "It's Blue Potion, that's all. It's good for revitalizing magic  
power and strength, but." Link said, looking at his bottle grudgingly.  
".Like all the potions, it doesn't have a very good taste and it makes your  
breath turn blue for a little while," he finished.  
  
"Okay, then," Tetra said, eying the Blue Potions with the same reluctance  
as Link. "Let's just count to three and get this over with," Link said.  
Tetra nodded and they started counting. "One; two; three; bottoms up,"  
They said and then, they drank the potions in one gulp. "Blech! Remind me  
to find a better solution for that problem!" Tetra said when she was  
finished. "I did warn you," Link said with clear sympathy. "Well, at  
least I do feel a little stronger now," Tetra said. "Then, let's talk to  
the Deku Tree," Link said, walking back to the giant lily pad.  
  
"I hope that your strengths have returned," The Deku Tree said as he raised  
the lily pad. "Uhhh.yeah," Link said. "Good. Now, what was it that you  
wanted to talk to me about?" the Deku Tree asked. "When we visited Dragon  
Roost Island three days ago, Valoo's attendant, Medli, said that Valoo had  
mentioned that a forest that is southeast of there, but northeast of here  
has had some strange things happening within it. We were hoping that you  
might know what forest and where it is," Tetra explained.  
  
"Hmmm; a forest northeast of Forest Haven, but southeast of Dragon Roost  
Island. Oh, gracious! Are you absolutely sure that that's the place he  
mentioned?" the Deku Tree asked in an urgent voice. Tetra and Link  
exchanged glances and Link said, "Yes, we're sure." "Then, that's a  
terrible, horrible thing! There is a forest that lies far northeast of  
Forest Haven and southeast of Dragon Roost Island! But, if odd things have  
been happening there, we may all be in trouble!"  
  
Aria: Ah! I'm ending this at a cliffhanger! Mwuhahahaha!  
Navi: Why'd you laugh all creepy like that?  
Aria: 'Cause I wanted to.  
Navi: My employer has some odd preferences.  
Aria: Navi, do I have to tell you about the earthworm dissection I did in  
biology class again?  
Navi: N-no, ma'am.  
Aria: Okay, chapter thirteen will be up tomorrow. And, I'm pulling a  
cliffhanger because I haven't in a while.. Sorry! Please read and review! 


	13. Chapter 13: The Mystery of the Forgotten...

Aria: Due to reviewers' requests, I am updating with the thirteenth and  
fourteenth chapters! And, if I decide it's all right, I'll post the  
fifteenth too.  
Navi: But, isn't there another cliff-  
Aria: For the last time, stop giving away the story! I'd like to apologize  
to Ultimate TH about when I got annoyed because of the correct guess of  
what happened next in the story. I was more or less shocked that someone  
was right about that and was rather discomfited by it. *bows politely*  
Din: (she's still a crab) Wow; somebody got her to apologize? Way to go!  
Nayru: I wouldn't say that if I were you. Or do you think that she didn't  
hear that?  
Farore: (she's still a frog) Ribbity-ribbit! *translates as: how come  
you're the only one of us who hasn't been turned into an animal or  
something?*  
Nayru: *smiles sweetly* Because, I have the common sense to not anger the  
authoress.  
Din and Farore: *glare at Nayru*  
Navi: Lemme guess: they're gonna duke it out, aren't they?  
Aria: *looks at the script* Yup; I just have to change them back. *waves  
hand and Din and Farore change back into normal selves*  
Navi: I might as well do the disclaimers now.  
Aria: Navi, do them and you can be the commentator while they battle.  
Navi: Whee! The authoress of The Way the Winds of Time Blow, Aria Zephyr,  
does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, etc.  
Aria: Some things in this chapter that are mentioned will have influence in  
later chapters, so don't forget! Chapter thirteen coming up! Hey, Navi,  
where's the popcorn and lemonade?  
  
Chapter 13: The Mystery of the Forgotten Forest  
  
"What do you mean that we all may be in trouble? What does a forest have  
anything to do with that?" Tetra asked. "Oh Great Deku Tree! I must agree  
with Miss Tetra. How could one forest endanger us all?" Makar asked,  
flying up to them. "My child, that is no ordinary forest that Tetra and  
Link have described," the Deku Tree said with a sorrowful look on his face.  
"That forest happens to be older than Forest Haven itself. Some say that  
the first tree there was planted at the very beginning of the kingdom of  
Hyrule. It is a hallowed place that has long since been abandoned ever  
since the gateway within it was sealed shut and one of its three keys  
vanished. If that place is has been disturbed, the consequences for our  
Great Sea could be catastrophic."  
  
"What makes it so sacred?" Link asked. "No living creature knows. All  
that is known is that there is a terrible witch who was sealed within its  
depths," the Deku Tree said. "Hold on! A witch? What is a witch doing  
there?" Tetra asked. "It is quite simple really. She threatened the  
Forgotten Forest years after Ganon was first sealed into the Evil Realm.  
What was strange about her case was that not long after she was defeated  
and sealed within the darkest depths of the Forgotten Forest, Ganon  
returned and in the weakened state this world was in, that is how the Great  
Sea came into being," the Deku Tree replied.  
  
"So, you have no idea what's there?" Link asked. "No; other than the  
knowledge that there is some type of gateway to another place there, I have  
no other idea what could lay there," the Deku Tree responded. "There could  
be a chance that the witch who was trapped there escaped," Tetra suggested.  
"Perhaps, but still, the Forgotten Forest would be able to keep a seal on  
her power so that it would not affect our lands. If Valoo knows about  
incidents happening there, something more serious must have occurred," the  
Deku Tree said.  
  
"So, how terrible was this witch exactly?" Link asked. "I really am not  
sure, but if she had the power to hurt the Forgotten Forest, she must have  
known a powerful type of dark magic," the Deku Tree said. "Can you at  
least tell us where the forest's location is?" Tetra asked.  
  
"You mean that you wish to go there?" the Deku Tree asked in astonishment.  
"You may certainly not! That place has become a place of darkness ever  
since the witch was sealed within there! If you entered it, there is a  
highly likely chance that you may never be seen again!" "But, people have  
been saying things like that to me for over a year and I'm obviously still  
around," Link protested. "Well, you're a different case, Link," the Deku  
Tree said with obvious discomfort. "There's something that you're not  
telling us, isn't there?" Tetra asked suspiciously. "Well." the Deku Tree  
mumbled. "Will you please just tell us?" Link asked in impatience. Tetra  
and Makar looked at him in surprise, but the Deku Tree spoke.  
  
"I didn't want to say anything, but.the Forgotten Forest was the last place  
the Hero of Time ventured to before he vanished. There had been stories of  
strange and hideous monsters appearing there and he wanted to do something  
about it. He left for the Forgotten Forest one day and after that, he was  
never seen again."  
  
"Not long after, that despicable witch appeared and started to change the  
Forgotten Forest. The royal family of Hyrule became afraid and with the  
help of the many peoples who were allies of Hyrule, they sealed her away.  
The victory over her was short, however. When she was sealed away, she  
called out that even if she was trapped for a thousand years, Hyrule would  
fall at the feet of Dark Magic and the Dark Lord would return. She also  
swore revenge on those who had sealed her and promised to destroy them and  
their descendants one day. Almost the day after, Ganon returned in his  
rage and started to conquer Hyrule again. It has clearly been many years  
since then, but one does wonder if that witch had anything to do with it,"  
the Deku Tree said.  
  
"Sounds to me like she did something more than just try to take over that  
forest. But, she had to have had a motive for doing so," Link said.  
"That's what I want to know. Why would she waste her time in that place  
when Hyrule was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from it? What would she  
gain from that?" Tetra said. "That, I'm afraid, is still a mystery," the  
Deku Tree said.  
  
"I don't like this," Link murmured. "The last time weird things started to  
happen, people underestimated them and if there hadn't been any  
interference, Ganon would already be in power by now. I still think that  
we should check this place out before we toss it off as just something  
insignificant," he said. "I agree. We shouldn't let ourselves fall into a  
false sense of security," Tetra said.  
  
"If you insist on going there, I'll show where its location is, but you  
must promise not to do anything rash once you're in there!" the Deku Tree  
said. "We promise!" Link and Tetra said in unison. "Very well, then.  
Link, please show me your sea chart," the Deku Tree said. "But, it only  
has islands in the Great Sea on it," Link said doubtfully. "I'm just going  
to show you where the general area the Forgotten Forest is in. After that,  
you're just going to be own your own," the Deku Tree said.  
  
Link nodded and took out his sea chart for the Deku Tree to see. The Deku  
Tree called Makar over to him and asked him to mark as close to the place  
where the Forgotten Forest lay. When he was finished, there was a small  
area circled on the chart, off the main map itself.  
  
"That's where it is. Just please be careful when you go there; it's  
extremely dangerous!" the Deku Tree said. "We understand. Don't worry;  
we'll be really careful," Tetra said. "I hope that that's a sincere  
statement and not just you saying it," the Deku Tree said. Tetra smiled  
reproachfully and both she and Link jumped down off the lily pad.  
  
"Good-bye!" They called as they exited through the cave entrance. "Thanks  
for your help!" The sudden bright light that met their eyes the moment  
they left the dim forest blinded them temporarily and they were forced to  
blink their eyes to accustom them to the light. Just as they were getting  
into the boat, Makar's voice called to them.  
  
"Link! Miss Tetra! Wait! You forgot this!" he called as he buzzed over  
to them in his usual fashion. When he reached them, he was holding the  
small sack of seeds that Medli had given them. "You dropped this in the  
forest," Makar said, holding out the sack. "Thanks, Makar," Link said,  
taking the bag from him. "What exactly is in that? It made a rustling  
sound like seeds when I picked it up," Makar said questioningly. "Um, it's  
just something that Medli gave us before we left," Link said.  
  
Tetra looked surprised when she heard the half-truth and when she gave him  
a questioning look, he replied with another look that seemed to say, "I'll  
explain it later." "Well, if that's everything, I must get back now. Good-  
bye!" Makar said, lifting into the air with his Deku Leaf and flying away.  
  
"How come you didn't tell him everything?" Tetra asked as Link steered the  
boat back to the pirate ship. Link looked at her carefully and said,  
"Makar has a bit of a habit of asking a lot of questions if you show any  
interest in or say anything that applies to botany." "That would make  
sense, but I didn't think that it was natural for you to lie," Tetra said  
teasingly. "Loose lips sink ships, right?" Link said, throwing her a grin.  
"I've said it once and I'll say it again; will you ever cease to surprise  
me?" Tetra said. "I think not," Link replied jokingly.  
When they reached the ship again, the pirates hauled the boat aboard and  
its occupants got out. "So, where are we going next?" Niko asked  
impudently when Link and Tetra were finally on the ship once more. "He's  
being awfully cheeky lately," Link muttered under his breath. Tetra looked  
stern for a moment before saying, "We'll be heading northeast at sunrise  
tomorrow. Everybody better get a good night's sleep, because once we set  
sail, everybody will be pulling their weight." "Aye-aye, Miss Tetra!" all  
of the pirates said in agreement.  
  
"Miss, if I may be so bold, may I ask where we are sailing to?" Nudge  
asked. Tetra raised an eyebrow in surprise for a split-second. "The name  
of the place is the Forgotten Forest. I don't know where the name came  
from or why it's called that, so don't ask. There have been reports that  
strange things have been happening there and due to some knowledge we  
received from the Deku Tree, we feel the need to investigate," Tetra said.  
"Yes, ma'am," Nudge said, nodding his head respectfully before walking  
away.  
  
"You sounded so formal when you were talking to them," Link remarked when  
the other pirates were out of earshot. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
Tetra asked. "Oh, nothing. It's just that you really act like a princess  
sometimes," He replied. "You're not supposed to mention that around them,"  
she scolded. "Of course I'm not. Why do you think I do?" he teased.  
"Now, you're just being a pain," She said. "And, I enjoy every minute with  
you. See you later, your highness," Link said playfully as he walked away.  
  
'What did he mean by that?,' Tetra thought in surprise.  
  
Navi: And, Farore just shot another blast of wind at Nayru, who blocked it  
at the last minute! Oh wow! Din threw a ball of fire at Nayru when she  
was blocking Farore's wind!  
Aria: *watching fight from cloud while sipping lemonade* Yeah, Navi and I  
are watching the goddesses fight with each other. It's actually a good way  
to keep them busy. Hey, Navi, pass the popcorn.  
Navi: *hands over the popcorn* It looks like Din is losing her temper! She  
just released a huge wave of lava! Whoosh! That's hot!  
Aria: I wonder if I should stop them. *looks thoughtful for a moment* NAH!  
Please read and review! 


	14. Chapter 14: A Playful Prank

Aria: They're still going at it.  
Navi: It's because they never get tired. They are goddesses.  
Aria: I knew that!  
Din: *from torn-up battle ground* Nayru, do you apologize now?!  
Nayru: Not on your life, sister!  
Aria: *from cloud high above battle* Maybe I should stop them. But, hey,  
we're in a separate world. They can't hurt anyone unless one of them  
accidentally sends them somewhere else.  
Navi: Can I still do commentary until they finish?  
Aria: Yeah, sure, whatever. Just do your disclaiming before the chapter  
starts.  
Navi: Of course! Aria Zephyr, the authoress of this story, does not own  
the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, etc.  
Aria: Remember how Niko rudely woke Link up in chapter ten? Well, let's  
just say Link gets a little sweet revenge in this chapter.  
Navi: *snickers* It's a doozy! You'll love it!  
Aria: Okay, enough chit-chat; on with chapter fourteen!  
  
Chapter 14: A Playful Prank  
  
Later that night, Tetra awoke to the sound of soft noises coming from the  
cargo bay. 'This is the second time I've woken up in the middle of the  
night,' she scolded herself as she slid out of bed to investigate. When  
she peered into the room, nothing seemed amiss except for a large bucket  
that was hanging above one bed.  
  
Tetra looked again and saw that a rope was attached to one side of the  
bucket and that the other end of the rope was being held by a small figure  
standing in the shadows of the doorway to Link's room. He noticed her  
standing at the edge of the room and winked. Tetra glanced at the  
unfortunate occupant of the bed and saw that it was Niko. She giggled  
softly as she imagined how mad he would be when Link pulled that rope.  
'Well, he does deserve it after he yelled in Link's ear yesterday morning,'  
she thought.  
  
A mischievous grin graced Link's face as he gave the rope a hard tug and  
pulled it away from the bucket as a downpour of water flowed out and  
drenched Niko. "AHHHHH!!!!! COLD!!!!" he yelled, jumping out of bed.  
Link had run back into his room with the rope and tucked it under his bed  
and got into it quickly after he had pulled the rope. Tetra was barely  
keeping silent as she tried to keep herself from laughing. Niko, on the  
other hand, was standing in the cargo bay looking rather like a, for lack  
of a better phrase, drowned rat.  
  
"What the heck is going on here?" Senza asked, after he had been woken up  
by Niko's yells. "Heck if I know!" Niko said indignantly. "I was just  
sleepin' peacefully in my bed when a whole bucketful of ice cold water  
comes down on my head!" "Sounds like somebody pranked ya," Mako said,  
putting his glasses on.  
  
"But, who would do that?" Niko asked, looking up at the overturned bucket.  
"I dunno," Gonzo said. "Wasn't me!" Nudge said. "Wasn't me either!" Senza  
said. "Ditto!" Mako said. "Same here," Zuko said. "Well, it couldn't be  
Miss Tetra or Link; they're still asleep," Niko said. Tetra was nearly  
choking on her laughter when she thought about how naïve they were being.  
  
"Maybe we should check on them," Gonzo suggested. "Good idea; I'll check  
on the kid and you check on Miss Tetra," Nudge said. When she heard this,  
Tetra ran up the stairs to her bedroom and dove into her bed. "Miss Tetra?  
Are you asleep?" Gonzo asked from her doorway, only moments after.  
  
"Ugh.What? What's wrong now?" Tetra asked, trying to sound like she'd been  
asleep. "Sorry to wake you, but somebody dumped water on Niko and nobody  
has any idea who it was," Gonzo said. "Really?" Tetra said in an  
uninterested tone. "Maybe a ghost came by and decided to pay him out for  
not doing his work around here when he's supposed to," She said. "Perhaps,  
but did you hear anything?" Gonzo asked. "With you guys snoring like  
freight trains downstairs?" She said rhetorically.  
  
"I suppose not. Anyway, you should see this. Niko looks like he went  
swimming with his clothes on," Gonzo said in jest. "Maybe, but everyone  
should get some sleep now. Just tell Niko to grab some spare sheets and  
hang the wet ones outside. And, go back to sleep," Tetra said. Gonzo  
nodded and left the room.  
  
Hours later, after the sun had risen, Niko was still very puzzled as to who  
had played the prank on him during the night. When Link came above decks,  
Tetra motioned to him to come over to her. "That was one heck of a sly  
prank you pulled there," She said. "More or less, it was my way of getting  
back at him for yelling in my ear," Link said with a grin. "He doesn't  
even realize that you were the one who did that! I don't know how I kept  
myself from screaming with laughter," Tetra said. "Tell me about it! When  
he said it couldn't be one of us, I had to pinch myself so that I wouldn't  
laugh!" Link said, his eyes twinkling roguishly.  
  
"How'd you know when I was pulling that off, anyway? I didn't wake you up  
did I?" Link asked. "I don't think so. I did hear some noises down there,  
though," Tetra said. "Sorry about that! I didn't mean to," Link said  
apologetically. "Hey; don't worry about it. A few minutes of lost sleep  
won't hurt me," Tetra said. "Well, okay; if you're sure I didn't keep you  
awake," Link said. "Believe me, I'm fine," Tetra said. "Okay," Link said.  
  
"So, do you think that you could change the wind for us so that we can  
leave?" Tetra asked. "Sure!" Link said. He took the Wind Waker out of his  
pocket smoothly conducted the "Wind's Requiem". Soon, the wind swirled  
around and started to blow to the northeast.  
  
"Now that that's taken care of." Tetra muttered to herself, as she turned  
around. "Hey! I thought that a crew of hard-working pirates lived on this  
ship! Not a bunch of slacking swabbies!" she yelled. There were a  
seemingly surprised number of shouts that came from below decks and they  
were soon followed by the sound of many feet pounding the stairs as the  
pirates rushed upward. When they had all reported to the main deck and  
were lined up in front of their captain, Link was standing behind her,  
trying to suppress a mocking laugh.  
  
"What took you so long?" Tetra asked when they were all there. There was a  
choking, coughing sound behind her as Link stopped another laugh. "Um,  
well, you see, Niko just, er, swabbed the deck downstairs and, uh, we  
didn't want to slip and hurt ourselves," Gonzo said falteringly. Tetra  
heard Link say something under his breath about this, but she continued.  
"We're heading northeast now and all of you should be up here doing your  
jobs. Is that clear?" she said. "Yes ma'am!" came the unanimous reply.  
"Good; now, get to it!" she said and they all scurried off to their places.  
  
"What were you saying just a second ago?" she asked Link when she turned  
around. "Oh, that? I was just saying that I've heard better excuses than  
that," Link said. "They have come up with better ones. That one ranks  
right up there with 'my dog ate my homework'," Tetra said. Link laughed  
and said, "So, what should I do now?" Tetra gave him the mischievous look  
that was her trademark. "You're asking me? That's a bad move. You know  
darn well that I could have you do the laundry," she said. Link grimaced  
and said, "If you did that, I'd make Niko do Gonzo's underpants!" This  
remark caused an intended laugh from her. "I've heard Niko complain about  
that more than once! Making him do that would be the ultimate spite!" she  
said. Link nodded and winked in a conspiratorial way, making her laugh  
again.  
  
Suddenly, this ship shifted and the wind stopped blowing. "Hey! What's  
going on here?" Tetra cried. "Uh-oh." Link said. "Uh-oh, what?" Tetra  
demanded. Link bit his lip nervously and looked at the sky. "Lot of  
seagulls, no wind, and no current; not good," he murmured as if in a daze.  
"What are you talking about?" Tetra asked.  
  
Link seemed to come out of the trance and looked at her quickly. "Do you  
still have some bombs left from when you were going to go after Jabun's  
treasure?" he asked. "Yeah, but why?" she replied. "You'll know soon  
enough, if our bad luck holds out. Just tell somebody to get ready for an  
attack. We're going to need those bombs if we're going to get out of here  
alive and in one piece," he said hastily.  
  
The urgent tone in his voice convinced Tetra that he wasn't lying and their  
situation was serious. "Zuko!" she yelled up to the crow's nest. "Yes,  
ma'am?" se called. "Keep an eye on the waters ahead!" she yelled. "Yes  
ma'am!" he replied, taking out his telescope in the same process.  
  
Then, she ran up to where the catapult was. "Gonzo, are you up there?"  
she shouted. "Yes, Miss Tetra; what's the matter?" Gonzo asked, looking  
down at her from his elevation. "Go into the cargo bay and grab what's  
left of the bombs we got off the shopkeeper on Windfall!" Tetra ordered.  
"Yes, ma'am," he said, coming down.  
  
"Why do we need the bombs?" He asked before he opened the door leading into  
the lower region of the ship. "There's a giant squid in the water up  
ahead! The only way to destroy it is to knock out its eyes!" Link said,  
running over to Tetra. "A-a g-giant s-squid?" Gonzo stammered, freezing in  
his tracks. "Yes, a giant squid. Now, if you don't want this ship to get  
eaten with everyone aboard, you'd better get those bombs before it gets to  
us," Link said. Gonzo gulped, nodded, and practically sprinted into the  
hold.  
  
"You know, I'm still the captain on this ship, but I'll let that slide for  
now," Tetra said, trying to lighten the mood. Link nodded and turned to  
see Gonzo running up the stairs, carrying two large barrels in his arms.  
"These are what are left," he said. "Well, hurry and get the catapult  
ready!" Tetra said. He nodded quickly and ran up to the catapult.  
  
"Mako! Go and get Nudge and Niko up here!" Tetra yelled. "What's the  
matter, Miss? Is there something wrong?" The short pirate asked. "I'll  
tell ya what's wrong!" Senza said from the wheel. "There's no wind! You  
can't sail a ship with no wind!" "That's not all," Tetra said, getting  
annoyed. "The ship's going to be under attack any minute!" She snapped.  
Mako nodded and ran to the hold. He came back not long after, with Nudge  
and Niko following. Then, Tetra started rolling out orders.  
  
"Nudge, go to the wheel and wait there with Senza. We'll need all the  
strength we can get if what Link is warning us about is true. Niko, you  
get up to the crow's nest with Zuko and watch for anything suspicious.  
Mako, you go to the catapult and help Gonzo aim. And, Link, you stick with  
me. If we run out of bombs, we'll need you to haul this ship out of the  
frying pan," she said, finally taking a breath. However, everyone was  
already running into their places and it wasn't long before a shout rang  
out from the crow's nest.  
  
"There's a giant whirlpool, dead ahead!" Niko yelled. Almost immediately,  
a gigantic squid reared its head up out of the water from the center of the  
whirlpool. Twelve enormous eyes stared down at the ship, which looked  
miniscule in comparison. Two large tentacles waved through the air  
randomly as the ship began to shift again.  
  
"Link, you didn't say that it was that big!" Tetra yelped when she saw the  
monstrosity. "Hey, when I say 'giant squid' I mean giant squid!" Link  
replied. "W-what d-do I a-aim f-for?" Gonzo stammered from the catapult.  
"The eyes!" Link shouted as one of the tentacles barely missed the ship.  
  
Gonzo and Mako tried bravely to destroy the terrible monster's eyes, but as  
their supply of bomb dissipated, they had only knocked out seven. "This'll  
take too long and we're nearly out of bombs," Link said as they were  
getting closer and closer to the monster. "What'll happen if we get too  
close?" Tetra asked. Link flinched and said, "It'll suck us up into its  
mouth and shoot us out to who-knows-where."  
  
Tetra was startled for a moment, but the frantic cries from Gonzo and Mako  
reporting that their bombs were all gone, brought her back to her senses.  
"Link, we don't have time too fool around anymore; you have to get down  
there and get rid of that thing!" she said urgently. "I know, I know! I'm  
going!" Link said as he dashed for his boat. "Is there anything we can try  
to do up here?" Tetra asked as he lowered his boat into the sea. "Try and  
pull the ship out of the whirlpool!" Link called as a giant wave barreled  
towards him.  
  
It caught his light boat and slammed it into the side of the ship, hard.  
The force of the impact caused Tetra to lose her footing and soon she fell  
overboard. "MISS TETRA!" The pirates yelled when they saw her fall. She  
could see the angry waters beneath her as she tumbled inexorably towards  
them. She took a deep breath and braced herself for a rough landing just  
before she hit the water.  
  
Aria: Oh dear! What will happen to our dear princess now? Can't tell you  
yet, though!  
Navi: Can't you bend the rules just once? I wanna know what happens too!  
Aria: Sorry, if I did that, I'd be breaking the authors' code and you know  
what happens.  
Navi: Awww.  
Din, Farore, Nayru: *have stopped fighting because they want to know what  
happens next too and are peering over Aria's shoulder*  
Aria: *looks over her shoulder and shrieks when she sees the goddesses  
staring at her* You're not supposed to be looking over my shoulder! Why'd  
you stop fighting, anyway?  
Farore: We wanna know what happens to Tetra.  
Nayru: Her real name is Princess Zelda.  
Aria: I'm not telling! Now leave me alone or I'll turn you all into  
guppies and put you in a fish bowl!  
Navi: *leering evilly at goddesses* She has a cat who tried to kill her  
brother's beta fish, you know.  
Din, Farore, and Nayru: EEK!  
Aria: Good one! *high fives Navi with index finger* Alrighty! Because I'm  
in a good mood and I know all of you will be screaming to know what  
happens, I'm posting chapter fifteen too! Please read and review! 


	15. Chapter 15: The Fight with the Big Octo ...

Navi and the goddesses: YAY! SHE'S POSTING THE NEXT CHAPTER!  
Aria: The way they're acting, you'd think that they have nothing better to  
do.  
Navi and the goddesses: *look away and shuffle their feet uncomfortably*  
Aria: *sweat drops* Somebody please tell me I'm not right about that. If  
I'm right, that's plain weird.  
Navi: Should I do the disclaimers now?  
Aria: Uh, sure. I need to go find something to take my mind off this.  
Now, where did I put my secret stash?  
Navi: The authoress of The Way the Winds of Time Blow, Aria Zephyr, does  
not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, etc.  
Farore: Is Aria gonna be all right? What was she talking about?  
Nayru: I think she meant she was looking for a stash of sugary candy or  
something. She does say that sugar-highs keep her mind off unusual things.  
Navi: Um, while Aria tries to figure out why we have no lives, please enjoy  
chapter fifteen!  
  
Chapter 15: The Fight with the Big Octo and the Fairy's Gift  
  
Surprisingly, even though Tetra felt the water flow over her head for a  
moment, her landing was rather soft. It wasn't until she heard a loud  
coughing and felt her weight shift that she opened her eyes. She had  
fallen into Link's boat at the last second and he had caught her in his  
arms just as the sudden weight forced the boat underwater. The coughing  
came from Link after some of the water had gotten in his mouth, due to the  
fact that he had been concentrating on catching her before she was hurt.  
  
She blushed and looked away. "Are you okay?" Link said, setting her down  
in the boat. "Yeah," she replied without looking at him. Then, she turned  
to him and said, "Why did you try to save me even when you were going to go  
underwater because of it?" "Because, if you got hurt because I didn't help  
you, I'd never forgive myself," Link replied. "What are we going to do  
now?" She asked. Link smiled sheepishly and said, "We can't go back until  
the monster's destroyed, so you have to come along for the ride."  
  
He steered the boat into the whirlpool and soon they were trying to keep  
the boat steady in the choppy water. "Try to keep us as far away from the  
squid as possible," Link called over the din. "I'm going to try to destroy  
its eyes." Tetra nodded and took hold of the pole that guided the boat's  
rudder.  
  
While Link fired bombs at the monster by using the boat's cannon, Tetra  
strained against the current to keep the boat away. Finally, after the  
last of the squid's eyes were destroyed, the whirlpool calmed to the gentle  
sea once more and they could feel the wind blowing again.  
  
However, a bright pillar of light suddenly formed where the squid had been.  
The pillar flashed brightly and a beautiful fairy with four arms, wearing  
a funny hat and a swirly dress, appeared from it. "Thank you, O young  
waker of the winds and O lady of the lost kingdom's family. Please allow  
me to be of service to you," she said in a musical voice.  
  
All of a sudden, a beautiful flower appeared in two of her hands and she  
blew the petals towards them. The petals glowed when they reached them and  
two tiny lights appeared in their hands. "These are the Star Lights," The  
fairy said, "They can light the darkest of dungeons on your command. Just  
breathe the light into them and they will glow brighter than the fullest  
moon."  
  
Then, she pointed behind her and said, "The forgotten forest lies due east  
of here. Beware; you two, for a plot has been set against you there. That  
is why that monster gobbled me up. Once you reach the sacred land, you  
must always be on your guard, for there are many monsters that would gladly  
eat you. You must find the entrance to the land beyond and save those who  
have been trapped for many, many years. Only you two will be able to cross  
the borders into the sacred land, for only you are the ones she wants to  
meet."  
  
Then, she turned to them once more and said, "Farewell!" With that, she  
disappeared in a flash of light. "Wait! Who wants to meet us?" Link  
called too late. "It's no use, Link. We'll have to find out on our own,"  
Tetra said, holding up her gift. They both looked at what the fairy had  
given them. They were tiny jewels, carved to look like stars, which hung  
from either a slender silver or gold chain. Both jewels glowed with their  
own inner light. The one that Tetra held was silver and had a golden  
chain. The one that Link held was gold and hung from a silver chain.  
  
"They feel so powerful," Link remarked after gazing at the gems in wonder.  
"Correction; they feel powerful because they're pure magic," Tetra said.  
Link merely nodded. Then, he grinned when he heard the frantic shouting  
coming from the pirate ship. He turned to her and said, "Let's get back  
there before they start threatening to hang me from the crow's nest by the  
seat of my pants." She laughed and used the rudder of the boat to steer  
them back to the ship.  
  
When the pirates had hauled the boat out of the water for the third time in  
three days, Link was grabbed by his shirt and pulled into a tight hug by  
Niko. "Ya did it again, Link!" he crowed. "That scurvy monster won't be  
messing with this pirate ship for a long time." "Can't.breathe." Link  
gasped. "Oops! Sorry, swabbie," Niko said, releasing him.  
  
Almost immediately after he was standing again, Senza and Gonzo caught him  
and started talking. "That was one heck of a team you and the Miss made  
out there, Link! I'll never forget that for a million years!" Gonzo said.  
"What did ya think of that fairy? You never see things like that on the  
high seas every day," Senza said.  
  
Link peered over their shoulders to give Tetra a pleading look. She  
laughed and said, "Okay, guys; I think the poor thing has had enough praise  
for one day. Give him some breathing space." The two pirates nodded and  
backed away. They started talking to the other pirates and they got into a  
long drawn-out argument over what sea monsters were the scariest.  
  
Link backed away from the group of chattering pirates and gave Tetra an  
uncomfortable glance. "Do they do this all the time when something out-of-  
the-ordinary happens?" he asked. "No, they don't," Tetra replied.  
  
Then, she looked troubled and said, "Link, isn't it more than just a little  
strange that we've been attacked by monsters twice in only two days?" He  
looked bewildered for a moment, but he still said, "No, I don't think so."  
"How is that?" she asked, surprised. "When I used to sail the Great Sea  
with the King of Red Lions, I was attacked by monsters very frequently," he  
said.  
  
He looked her straight in the eyes and said, "Don't you remember what the  
fairy said? About her being eaten by that monster because there's a plot  
waiting for us in the Forgotten Forest?" She paused and said, "Yes, but,  
how could anyone possibly be able to send monsters that far away from the  
forest without actually being there?"  
  
"I don't know. What we do know is that someone is trying to stop us from  
getting to the Sacred Wood at all. If we all want to make it there in one  
piece, we're going to have to be on our guard, day and night," Link said.  
"Then, we're going to have to have somebody on guard duty while everyone  
else sleeps," She said. "Right," he said vaguely, looking back out to the  
sea, in the direction of the setting sun.  
  
"Link?" Tetra asked, trying to get his attention. He shook his head and  
said, "Sorry about that. I'm just afraid that we may be dealing with  
something or someone who is more powerful than we realize." "Like what?"  
she asked. "That's the problem; I have no idea," Link said.  
  
Aria: Okay, I'm feeling better now.  
Navi: That's good because you were bouncing around like a bunny rabbit just  
a second ago.  
Aria: What do you expect a sugar-high to do? Make you go to sleep?  
Nayru: But, you were acting rather hyper.  
Aria: So? That's my problem, not yours, so don't worry about it.  
Navi: Alright. *lands on Aria's shoulder*  
Aria: NAVI! GET OFF MY SHOULDER! I GOT SUNBURNED THERE!  
Navi: *squeaks in surprise and flies off Aria's shoulder*  
Aria: Phew! Don't do that again, will you? It hurts.  
Navi: Sorry; I didn't know.  
Aria: No problem. Alright. How'd you like this chapter? I know I left it  
at a semi-cliffhanger, but I think three chapters should be enough for now.  
I know you'll like the next one, but that's next time. Please read and  
review until then! See you when I post chapter sixteen! 


	16. Chapter 16: A Puzzling Problem of Meanin...

Aria: Okay, I've finally figured out why the goddesses and Navi have no  
lives. They enjoy annoying me!  
Navi: What's so bad about that?  
Aria: Because, do you like being turned into strange things?  
Navi: Not really.  
Aria: Point made.  
Navi: So, are you really gonna turn the goddesses into guppies?  
Aria: Only if they do something stupid.  
Navi: Okay! Then I might as well tell you that they deleted your file on  
the Wind Waker game. You know the one that had the second play-through.  
Aria: *fumes angrily for a moment* Oh Din, Farore, Nayru! I have a little  
surprise for you!  
Goddesses: What?  
Aria: Can I see the Game Cube, the Wind Waker game, and the memory card  
please?  
Goddesses: *exchange uncomfortable glances* Um, no.  
Aria: Why not?  
Goddesses: *mumble*  
Navi: *grabs items and turns the game on* See! They did get rid of it!  
Goddesses: YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO TELL HER THAT, TATTLE-TALE!  
Aria: Maybe you shouldn't worry about what she said and, instead, worry  
about what I'm gonna do to all three of you!  
Goddesses: *gulp and run away, very quickly*  
Navi: And, they're off! Din is in the lead, with Farore right behind her  
and Nayru at the end! Aria is catching up on them! Oh! She just turned  
them all into snails! Ooh! That's embarrassing!  
Aria: *walks back with tank in hand that has the goddesses in it as snails*  
Thanks for ratting on them, Navi. Here's the bonus. *hands Navi a bag full  
of rock candy*  
Navi: YAY!  
Aria: Do the disclaimers.  
Navi: Aria Zephyr, the authoress of The Way the Winds of Time Blow, does  
not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, etc. But, she does  
own this story.  
Aria: You're gonna like this chapter. Link begins to realize that a  
certain someone means more to him than just a friend.  
  
Chapter 16: A Puzzling Problem of Meaning  
  
Link sighed as he leaned his elbows against the railing of the main deck.  
He had volunteered to take the first watch and now the sea seemed so quiet  
and still compared to the raging whirlpool it has previously been. He  
stretched his arms out behind him and when he leaned back, something cool  
and light bumped against his chest.  
  
He reached into his shirt and lifted out the triangular medallion. 'Oh  
yeah, I didn't take it off at all today,' he thought as he looked out at  
the sea again. Suddenly, another thought came to mind. 'Oh no! I never  
got a chance to ask the Deku Tree about this!' he remembered, staring at  
the tiny ornament. 'I can't go back and ask him about it now,' he thought  
glumly. 'I'll just have to find a chance to ask him sometime later.'  
  
He slipped the medallion back under his clothing when he heard the door  
creak behind him. "Hey, everyone's going to bed now, so I just wanted to  
say good-night," Tetra said, walking towards him. "Oh, um, okay," Link  
said, unable to say anything more.  
  
The reason why was because she was wearing a nightgown rather than her  
usual pirate garb. It was a fairly simple dress, without lace or frills;  
but, it was the blue of the ocean and it was tied around her waist with a  
thin cord. Also, her hair wasn't held up in its twisted ponytail on top of  
her head; instead, her hair spilled down her shoulders in a golden cascade.  
Link could feel himself blushing and looked away from her.  
  
"Is there anything wrong?" Tetra asked, noticing his discomfort. "I've  
just never seen you wearing a, uh, nightgown before. Or with your hair  
down," Link said, avoiding her gaze. She looked down at her clothes and  
blushed slightly. "Yeah, well, wearing this while we're sailing wouldn't  
look right for a pirate captain, now would it?" she said. "No, not at  
all," he said, laughing.  
  
"So, um, what are you going to do other than just watch the sea?" Tetra  
asked, walking up beside him to rest her elbows on the railing. "I dunno;  
just think, I guess," Link replied vaguely.  
  
Tetra fingered the tiny jewel that hung from its golden chain around her  
neck. "What do you suppose that fairy meant when she said to breathe the  
light into these things?" she said, showing him her Star Light. He  
shrugged and said, "This is going to sound really silly, but maybe we're  
actually supposed to breathe onto them." Tetra raised an eyebrow  
skeptically and he gave her a weak smile. "It was just a guess," he said.  
"No, it's not that," Tetra said. "It just seems a little, well, silly,  
like you said." "It's worth a try," Link said. "I guess, but no telling,"  
she warned. He nodded and crossed his heart with his fingers. She giggled  
and blew a gentle puff of air onto the jewel.  
  
It flickered for a second and the glow within it died away. They exchanged  
worried looks until the jewel suddenly glowed and shone like a tiny sun.  
"Ow! How do we turn this thing off?" Tetra yelped when the sudden light  
blinded her. She unintentionally covered the jewel with one hand and the  
glow subsided to its former light.  
  
"You just answered your question," Link said. "Well, at least we won't  
have to carry a torch or anything in case it gets dark while we're in that  
forest," Tetra said, letting the jewel drop from her fingers and onto her  
clothes. "It should work the same way with mine, but I'll test it when  
you've gone back downstairs," he said. "Thanks," she said with a grin.  
  
Then, she was quiet and looked lost in thought. "Link, really, why did you  
catch me when I fell off the ship?" she asked, staring him straight in the  
eyes. He looked startled and he bit his lip nervously. "I already told  
you; I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if you got hurt and I had  
been able to do something about it," he said evasively. "But, why? That's  
all I'm asking," she persisted.  
  
"I." He began when the door opened behind them and Nudge stepped out.  
"Miss Tetra, it's getting awfully late and you should get your rest before  
tomorrow," he said. Tetra sighed and said, "I'll go to bed in a minute,  
Nudge. Just wait one moment." Nudge nodded and she turned to Link. "I'll  
see you in the morning then," she said. He nearly gulped in nervousness,  
but he nodded and said, "Good-night, Tetra." She walked to the door and  
went into the hold.  
  
Both males watched her go and when she had left, Nudge said, "Your shift's  
almost over." "Yeah, I know. Who has the next shift?" Link asked. "I do;  
that's why I'm awake. What were you and the miss talking about?" Nudge  
asked. "Oh, nothing important," Link fibbed. "Well, when your shift has  
ended, come get me; I'll be on my bed in the cargo bay," Nudge said, before  
he walked back down into the hold.  
  
When he had gone, Link heaved a sigh of relief. He didn't like it when  
people asked him embarrassing questions, especially ones that he didn't  
want to answer. 'I don't want to lie to Tetra, but I'm not even sure why I  
couldn't let her fall,' he thought. He leaned against the railing and  
stared up at the clear, velvet black sky that was aglitter with diamond-  
like stars.  
  
'She's important to me and I don't want her to get hurt. It's not like I  
view her as just a powerful person; that's nowhere near the truth. Her  
importance to me isn't like that I had for Medli or Makar when I was  
protecting them in the temples, but it's not like the importance that  
grandma and Aryll have either. What does she mean to me that makes me feel  
I have to protect her?' he thought.  
  
He averted his gaze to the golden Star Light and thought; 'I wish life  
itself wasn't so confusing!' After he had checked to see if his Star Light  
worked the same way as Tetra's, he looked at the hourglass that had been  
set on the deck to keep track of how long each shift was. Seeing that all  
of the sand had drained to the bottom, he found Nudge and retired to his  
room. Even as he drifted into slumber, the puzzling question over his  
feelings was still apparent.  
  
Navi: *pokes finger at the glass wall of snail tank* They're so much cuter  
this way! Can I keep them?  
Aria: Sure, but I'm going to need them again eventually. They're going to  
give a little help to one of the characters, but that's not for another  
thirteen or so chapters.  
Navi: Okay! *grabs tank and flies up to cloud*  
Aria: *in confidential voice* That's where she stores all of her stuff.  
The cloud's magical, so nothing falls through it.  
Navi: What do snails eat?  
Aria: Soggy lettuce!  
Navi: Where can I get that?  
Aria: Here! *snaps fingers and a head of soggy lettuce appears in the air*  
*throws lettuce to Navi's cloud*  
Navi: Here you go, little snails; eat up!  
Aria: If this wasn't so pathetic, it would be a riot! I hope you liked  
chapter sixteen! Please read and review! 


	17. Chapter 17: It’s About Time They Got to ...

Aria: I know that chapter sixteen was short, so I'm putting up chapter  
seventeen along with it. Chapter seventeen is even shorter, but I don't  
want all of you asking for more before I'm ready to post the next chapter.  
Navi: The goddesses are still snails, but I don't care. They can't say  
anything or complain or fight with each other or make Aria mad or.  
Aria: We get the picture, Navi!  
Navi: *flinches* I'll do the disclaimers now. Aria Zephyr, the authoress  
of this story, does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters,  
etc. But, she does own this story.  
Aria: This chapter has a lighthearted tone, unlike some other ones. Please  
enjoy chapter seventeen!  
  
Chapter 17: It's About Time They Got to the Forgotten Forest! Sheesh!  
  
It took them four days just to come within the vicinity of the area that  
the Deku Tree had marked. During that time, everyone was rather busy  
either doing their jobs or chatting with someone.  
  
Tetra stood at the rear of the ship, checking their coordinates on Link's  
sea chart. "Finally! We're nearly there!" she said, folding up the chart  
and sticking it in her belt. She looked around at the rest of the ship and  
saw that Link was mopping the main deck. She jumped down from her place  
and walked over to him.  
  
"Since when do you do swabbie work?" she asked teasingly, putting her hands  
on her hips. "Since Niko refused to come upstairs and somebody had to  
clean up the mess that he made when he was cleaning the fish last night,"  
he replied, putting the mop into the bucket beside him and taking it out  
with a plop. "It did stink last night, didn't it?" she said, wrinkling her  
nose. "Not really; when you've grown up in a fishing village, the smell  
doesn't get to you as much," he said cynically  
  
She laughed and said, "You're in a humorous mood today!" "I'd better be as  
humorous as I can now that we're nearly at the forest," he said, leaning  
casually on the mop. "How'd you know that?" she asked. "I didn't tell you  
and no one but me has seen your chart all day but me." "I knew because I  
figured that it would take us about this long to reach it," he said  
straightforwardly. She shook her head and said, "I don't think I should  
doubt your logic this time." "That would be foolish, now wouldn't it?"  
Link said jokingly.  
  
Suddenly, Zuko's voice called out from the crow's nest. "There's an island  
up ahead!" He yelled. At hearing this, everyone rushed to the railings and  
saw that a tiny sliver of land laid ahead of them; a dark line against the  
receding horizon.  
  
"That must be it! What else could be ahead of us?" Link said excitedly.  
"Alright, everybody! Set sail for that island! We'll drop anchor there  
and then Link and I will explore it," Tetra shouted. "Yes ma'am!" The  
pirates all said obediently as they rushed into their places.  
  
Link walked back to where he had dropped the mop and bucket. He poured the  
water overboard and said, "Well, if it still smells like fish later, I  
can't say I didn't try to make it go away."  
They sailed straight to the island that they had seen and just as the sun  
was setting, they had reached it. A giant forest of ancient trees loomed  
up before them. Each one bore markings upon their bark that showed many  
years of strain against sea storms. Yet, the most shocking thing was the  
complete silence that enveloped it and how eerie it felt, even from a  
distance.  
  
"That's weird; you'd think with a forest this big, there'd be at least some  
birds in it," Link said, scratching his head beneath his cap. "I don't  
like it; it has a really odd feeling to it," Tetra said, frowning. "What  
do you mean?" Link asked. "I'm not sure.It just feels like something  
ominous is in there, waiting for something," She said, staring at the  
darkened woods. "Then, we'd better stay here for the night," Link said.  
Tetra nodded in agreement and told the pirates that no one would be leaving  
that night.  
  
The pirates were thrilled that they had finally found the Forgotten Forest,  
but only because it had taken them so long just to get there. Link and  
Tetra had to reiterate why it was dangerous for anyone to go to the forest  
itself at the time many, many times. Some of the braver of the pirates  
wanted to accompany them, but when Link and Tetra told them about what the  
fairy had said, they reluctantly agreed. Because they were going into the  
forest, Link and Tetra were sent to bed early and everyone else took guard  
duty.  
  
Navi: This chapter wasn't so bad.  
Aria: Just you wait, fairy. I'm warning you all right now, enjoy it while  
it lasts. Things are gonna get scary soon. Very soon.  
Navi: Like how scary?  
Aria: Like vicious storms, terrifying monsters, cryptic places. You know;  
the works.  
Navi: I don't get it.  
Aria: That's because you're silly. I hope everyone liked this chapter.  
Please read and review! Chapter eighteen and nineteen are next!  
Navi: Then, you'd better start writing again, or you won't have any  
material to work with!  
Aria: Navi, I've said it before and I'll say it again: shut up!  
Navi: Yes, ma'am!  
Aria: Sheesh; hired workers. 


	18. Chapter 18: To the Forgotten Forest

Navi: *pokes finger at tank with goddesses as snails in it* If snails could  
hiss, I think that they'd be louder than a teakettle! They look really  
angry!  
Aria: *looks up from filing nails* So? What's the problem? They can't  
change back until I want to and they're perfectly harmless as garden  
snails.  
Navi: But, they look really ticked off. When you change them back, won't  
they try to do something to you?  
Aria: How many times do I have to reiterate this to you? I'm the  
omnipotent authoress of this story. I can do what I like, when I like,  
where I like, how I like, and to whom I like as long as it's in this story.  
Therefore, if you're in my story, I have total power over you.  
Navi: *has question marks bouncing around her head and has a look on face  
that says, "Uhhhhh?"*  
Aria: Okay, let me put this simply. If I want to do something in this  
story, I can do it without any trouble whatsoever. Understand?  
Navi: *nods*  
Aria: Good. Now, do your job and say the disclaimers.  
Navi: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters,  
etc. Aria Zephyr does own this story.  
Aria: Ah, the sweet smell of simplicity! I asked her to tone it down a  
bit. To my loyal reviewers: This chapter is rather short and so are  
chapters nineteen and twenty. Therefore, instead of just posting eighteen  
and nineteen this time, I'm posting eighteen, nineteen, and twenty. I  
didn't remember how short they were until I looked at them again. *bonks  
self gently with fist* Sorry!  
  
Chapter 18: To the Forgotten Forest  
  
"So, you're absolutely, positively sure that you don't want any of us to  
come with you?" Gonzo asked for what must have been the thousandth time.  
Tetra sighed and said, "Yes, I'm very sure. Anyways, this little boat can  
only fit two people at most and you guys aren't that small." She waved her  
hand back at Link's boat, which hung by its special rigging behind her, for  
reference.  
  
"Where is Link?" she asked, looking around her. "Um, he said that he was  
going to get some things of his from his room and be right up here," Mako  
said. "Then, what's taking him so long?" Tetra asked impatiently.  
  
There was an alarmed shout from beneath them and when Senza opened the door  
to see what was going on, he had to jump back to avoid being hit by a  
yellow boomerang.  
  
"Niko! Give that back! It's dangerous to throw it around! You could  
easily decapitate somebody!" a frantic voice yelled from within. "I didn't  
mean to throw it! I tripped!" Niko's voice said defensively. "Just please  
give me my boomerang back!" Link said exasperately. "Aw, alright; here,  
take it," Niko said reluctantly. "Link! Niko! Get up here! Now!" Tetra  
yelled. "Uh-oh." They said softly.  
  
When they both had come upstairs, Link pointed to Niko and said, "He did  
it." "It was your boomerang," Niko shot back. "You stole it from me when  
I wasn't looking!" Link replied. "Will you two close your mouths for just  
one moment?!" Tetra shouted and the argument ceased.  
  
"Now, then; what happened?" she asked when everyone had turned to look. "I  
was getting my stuff together and Niko grabbed my boomerang when I wasn't  
looking. I tried to get it back from him, but he tripped and it went  
flying. It's not my fault," Link said. "Niko, why did you take Link's  
boomerang?" Tetra asked. "I just wanted to look at it for a second. But,  
when I touched the edge, it cut me and I yelled. Link heard me and  
overreacted a little. I ran upstairs and tripped on the top step and I  
lost my grip on the boomerang," Niko said.  
  
"Niko, you should know by now that a lot of the things that Link has are  
dangerous and shouldn't be played around with. Though he may have  
overreacted, he obviously didn't want anyone to get hurt by it. Now, go  
get a bandage for your finger and remember not to do that again," Tetra  
said. Niko nodded and walked downstairs.  
  
"As for you, Link; maybe if you hadn't been taking so long, Niko wouldn't  
have had a chance to snatch your boomerang," she said, an impish twinkle  
lighting her eyes. "Yes, ma'am. I'll try to hurry next time," Link  
replied in mock obedience. She winked at him and said, "Go grab the rest  
of your things. That is, if you already haven't." "Hold that thought,"  
Link said, just as he turned and sprinted downstairs.  
  
He came back quickly and just as he was walking up the stairs, he was  
trying to strap his shield onto his back at the same time. "That would be  
a lot easier if you would just stand still for a second to do that," Tetra  
said. "And your point is?" Link asked, giving her a mischievous look.  
"Never mind! Just hurry up!" Tetra said, rolling her eyes.  
  
Link laughed and walked over to where his boat was. He pulled it closer to  
the ship. He stepped aside slightly and said, "Ladies first." Tetra  
giggled and climbed into the boat. Link was about to follow her when he  
said, "Um, do you want to sit closer to the front or the back?" Tetra  
thought for a moment before saying, "I'll sit in the front." She moved  
closer to the bow and Link climbed into the boat next to the tiller.  
  
Senza came up to the boat to lower the ropes and was followed by all of the  
other pirates, (except for Niko, of course). "You two be real careful  
while you're in that forest, okay?" Nudge said. They nodded and Gonzo  
handed a large sack to them. "This is just some food and water for you  
while you're there. Just in case there's no food or anything," he said.  
"Don't worry, all of you. We'll be fine. We promise. Right, Link?" Tetra  
said. He nodded and said, "Right. We'll be just fine." "Alright. Good  
luck!" the pirates said as they lowered the small red boat into the shallow  
water.  
  
Aria: I did say this one was short, so don't get mad at me, okay?  
Navi: Um, Aria, what happens if I accidentally poured salt on the goddesses  
when they're snails?  
Aria *freezes and faces Navi* You didn't, did you?  
Navi: *nods reluctantly*  
Aria: Somebody spare me! Get them over here quick before they shrivel up  
and die! Not that I can't revive them, but I don't wanna have to spend  
hours trying to do so! Hurry up, girl!  
Navi: *rushes to get tank*  
Aria: Why? Why me? Why is it always me? Please read and review. It  
might restore my sanity. 


	19. Chapter 19: The Hurricane Shield

Navi: Are they gonna be okay? I didn't mean to drop a salt shaker on them,  
I swear!  
Aria: Navi, quit buzzing in my ear! I can't concentrate! This ain't easy,  
you know!  
Navi: Sorry.  
Aria: I'm still trying to save the goddesses from Navi's little mishap with  
a salt shaker. If I don't have to revive them, I'm changing them into  
guppies. This chapter is even shorter than the last and the next one isn't  
going to be any better. I already said I'm sorry about it, so don't be  
upset with me, please.  
Navi: Hey! They're moving! *moves to touch one snail*  
Aria: Don't touch them! They're dangerous with fresh magic still on them!  
Navi: *doesn't hear in time and touches snail*  
Aria: Good grief.  
Navi: *blinks and is turned into a blue snail with fairy wings*  
Aria: Oh, for goodness sake! If it isn't one thing after another! Just  
read while I straighten this mess out! Because she's a weird looking  
snail, I have to do the disclaimers! I don't own the Legend of Zelda  
games, their character, or anything related! But, this story belongs to  
me. Navi, when I change you back, I'm gonna do something I'm gonna regret!  
  
Chapter 19: The Hurricane Shield  
  
There was a slight breeze blowing. Link was about to pull out the sail  
when all of a sudden, a strong wind blew the water up beneath the boat,  
hurtling it towards the island ahead. A strong downpour of rain appeared  
as well and soon drenched the two in water. The wind roared with enormous  
fury and soon they realized that the calm waters were now part of a  
monstrous hurricane.  
  
"Link, we have to do something!" Tetra shouted over the screaming wind. "I  
know, but what can we do? I can't make it stop!" Link yelled. The  
infuriated storm whirled the little boat and its occupants through the  
waters, threatening to wreck them on the sharp rocks near the beach.  
  
A particularly strong wave swept up beneath them and the two braced  
themselves as it slammed them both into a rock. The sturdy boat held and  
endured the abuse, but the jarring impact nearly shook them both out of it.  
Tetra looked helplessly up at the spiraling clouds above them, wishing for  
it all to stop.  
  
Suddenly, the whirling wind stopped its howling and the angry waters  
stopped throwing them around. The sun broke through the heavy cloud cover  
and cleared them away. Soon, it seemed as if the hurricane had never been  
and the wind and water had never roared in anger.  
  
A gentle wave lapped at the side of the boat and lightly sprayed droplets  
of water onto the stunned faces of the occupants. They exchanged glances,  
both wondering what had just happened and why. Tetra moved back in  
embarrassment when she realized that she had flung her arms around Link  
during the terrifying storm. The same wave gently pushed their boat  
towards the beach and soon, they were at the edge of the Forgotten Forest.  
  
Navi: She changed me back, but not after she went into another of her  
tirades.  
Nayru (they got changed into guppies, remember? They're in a fish tank  
now): Blub. *translates as: She was so mad! She was cursing Navi the  
entire time!*  
Aria: *looking very harried and annoyed* Please tell me that you haven't  
done anything stupid since I left.  
Navi: *in confidential voice* She went to go relieve her stress by reading  
other fanfics. *switches voice back to normal* No one's done anything  
stupid since you left, Aria.  
Aria: Thank goodness! I was wondering if I would have to put you in a  
glass bottle.  
Navi: Hey! That's not funny.  
Aria: I'm not in the mood to argue, Navi. So, shut up or I'll hex you or  
something.  
Navi: Eek!  
Aria: I hope you all liked chapter nineteen. I couldn't stick around long  
enough to read it again, though. I was too busy curing a stupid fairy.  
Please read and review! 


	20. Chapter 20: Into the Darkness of the For...

Aria: Now I'm feeling better. My sanity isn't back yet, but at least I'm  
not out to kill Navi anymore.  
Navi: I said I was sorry.  
Aria: If you had been more careful, none of that would have happened!  
Navi: *cringes* I should say the disclaimers before you're tempted to hurt  
me, shouldn't I?  
Aria: YES!  
Navi: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters,  
or anything related. But, Aria Zephyr does own The Way the Winds of Time  
Blow.  
Aria: I'm going to go read some more. Don't do anything I'd get mad about  
while I'm gone, Navi. Or else.  
Navi: I think that her not being out to kill me just flew out the window.  
  
Chapter 20: Into the Darkness of the Forgotten Forest.  
  
It was still unnaturally quiet in the forest. It was almost as if all the  
creatures had long since left it, many generations before. No breeze  
played with the dark green leaves of the ancient, gnarled trees, as if to  
make a single sound in that place was unthinkable. All of the trees were  
enormous giants, stretching their wide arms far over the ground beneath  
them, belittling those who dared to enter their place.  
  
Link and Tetra carefully beached the boat on the shore and tied it to a  
sturdy rock so that it would not wash away. They looked at the foreboding  
woods ahead of them with uneasiness. The ghostly quiet seemed to be  
saying, "Turn back; you do not belong here." "I really don't like this  
place," Tetra said, her eyes flickering from the forest to Link's face.  
"It's just a forest. Anyway, if anything happens, just remember that I'll  
be right here with you," Link said reassuringly. Tetra sighed and said,  
"Still, something about this place doesn't feel right."  
  
They gathered up their things from the boat Tetra volunteered to carry the  
sack of food. When they turned to face the forest again, they exchanged  
glances, gulped, and started walking forward.  
  
Some of the trees they passed as they walked along were encircled in the  
embrace of thick vines that hung from their trunks and off their branches.  
The trees seemed to get bigger and older as they pressed onward. The trees  
seemed to leer at them, warning them that they did not belong there and  
that they should leave.  
  
Except for the soft sound of their feet, nothing could be heard throughout  
the entire forest. The unnatural silence tugged at the wariness of the  
two and, instinctively, they moved closer together. They watched every  
side, unsure whether any horrific beast might come charging at them.  
  
Suddenly, the trees parted to reveal a large clearing. A small patch of  
grass and wildflowers carpeted the tiny space, but they were not the most  
surprising thing there. A large stone arch curved majestically in the  
center of the clearing. It seemed very, very old, with moss and climbing  
vines crawling over it. Its column was very thick and sturdy, easily  
showing years of age in its cold surface.  
  
Aria: I'm back! How is everyone?  
Goddesses: *look at Aria blankly from fish tank*  
Aria: Where's Navi?  
Goddesses: *exchange glances*  
Aria: *sighs* There goes my good mood. What did she do this time?  
Farore: Blub-blurb-blub. *translates as: Look behind the tank*  
Aria: *walks behind the tank* NAVI! WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE  
DOING?! WHAT IS TINGLE DOING HERE!  
Navi: Well, you were gone and Tingle wanted to come over and I kinda have a  
crush on him and-  
Aria: -And you were kissing behind the fish tank?! Navi, this time I  
really am gonna kill you! But, not before your paramour is outta here!  
*waves hand and Tingle vanishes*  
Navi: But, he's so rich! Not to mention, he has his own island!  
Aria: Do you know how he got that rich? He extorted it all off Link! I  
hate that son of a bleep!  
Navi: Uh-oh! She's gonna freak!  
Aria: I have to deal with this little problem at the moment. Please read  
and review! Navi, I want an explanation before I plan your execution!  
Navi: EEK! 


	21. Chapter 21: The Ancient Monument

Aria: Alright; I've tied up Navi and put her in a glass bottle where she  
can't cause any more mischief. The only problem is: I need a new  
disclaimer person now. I don't want to ask the goddesses or any of the  
characters who have already taken part in the story, so I'm stumped. I'd  
appreciate any suggestions, so if you have an idea who I should use for my  
next disclaimer person, send them in with your reviews. You already know  
the drill by now: I don't own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters,  
or anything related. But, I am the owner of this story. This chapter  
involves Link and Tetra getting into trouble and Link worrying about Tetra.  
How sweet!  
  
Chapter 21: The Ancient Monument  
  
"What is this place?" Link asked, breaking the silence. "It looks like a  
monument of some sort," Tetra remarked. They approached the arch to look  
at it closer and saw that there was something carved into the upper part of  
the arch. "It looks like something was written there once," Link said,  
squinting at the carvings. "Yeah, but what?" Tetra said.  
  
Link looked at the carvings again and said, "It looks like it's written in  
Hylian." "That really helps us," Tetra said sarcastically. "Neither of us  
knows any Hylian." "Well, that's not my fault. This thing was probably  
built when Hyrule was still around," Link said. "That's obvious; just look  
at the thing! It's older than Valoo is, I bet," Tetra said. Link frowned  
and said, "It think it's much older than that. The Deku Tree doesn't even  
look this old and he's ancient!"  
  
"So, what exactly are we supposed to do here? Look at an old monument that  
we can't understand?" Tetra said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well.I  
wouldn't say that. But, I'm not sure either," Link said.  
  
Abruptly, the ground gave a large quiver. It stopped and shook again, this  
time, harder. The shaking seemed to be getting closer as it got stronger.  
The argument had stopped on the third shake and now both Link and Tetra  
were standing very still, looking around them and watching the trees.  
  
The ground shivered again and this time it shook the leaves of some of the  
trees. "What's going on?" Tetra whispered. The ground shook again and  
suddenly, a skeleton started to rise out of the ground around the clearing.  
Link gasped before saying, "Run, Tetra! It's a Stalfos!" He started to  
turn, but stopped when he saw that Tetra seemed to be immobile.  
  
The skeleton warrior, now fully unearthed, spotted the girl and started  
towards her. Tetra started to turn and run away when another skeleton  
warrior began to rise out of the ground beneath her. It grasped her ankle  
and pulled her down just as it finished rising out of the hole it had  
created.  
  
"Tetra! Leave her alone!" Link yelled, taking his sword out of its sheath  
and rushing towards the monster. However, the other one was already there  
and it swung its large club and knocked the boy away. He flew backwards  
and hit the arch with a thud.  
  
In the meantime, Tetra was struggling to break free of the grip of the  
Stalfos. It only squeezed her tighter and she yelped in pain. When she  
saw Link thrown back at the columns, Tetra cried out in panic. "Link!  
Wake up! Please!" she screamed. The boy blinked and winced as he got to  
his feet. He held his right arm in his left as if it hurt him and shook  
his head to regain his senses. "Link! Do something!" Tetra yelled as the  
Stalfos holding her choked off her words again.  
  
Link looked at her anxiously and, suddenly, his eyes lit up. He pulled his  
boomerang out and shouted, "Tetra; duck!" She tried to get her head as low  
as possible just as Link threw the boomerang. It whirled through the air  
and struck the skull of the Stalfos that held Tetra.  
  
It dropped her unceremoniously to the ground when the boomerang hit its  
mark and Link rushed forward to Tetra. "We have to get out of here!" He  
said urgently, helping her to stand. She yelped again and stumbled to the  
ground again just as the Stalfos was regaining control of itself. "My  
ankle.it hurts too much to walk on it." she gasped. Link bit his lip as he  
saw the armed Stalfos lugging its club towards them. He scooped her up  
into his arms and ran away as fast as he could.  
  
Eventually, he stopped and set her down by a tree. "Let me go take care of  
those monsters. You stay here and wait for me until I get back; okay?" he  
said. Tetra nodded and winced as she tried to make herself more  
comfortable. Link's face showed a look of concern when she did and knelt  
beside her. She noticed his expression and waved him away weakly. "Go get  
rid of those things. I'll be fine; I promise," she said.  
  
When he hesitated, she shoved him gently and said, "You can worry about me  
later. Just go and beat up those things and get some revenge on them for  
me, will ya?" Link nodded and stood up. He took his bow and arrows off  
his back and handed them to her. "Use these if anything dangerous comes by  
while I'm gone," He said. She took them and smiled at him tenderly.  
"Thanks," she whispered. "It's okay; you don't have to thank me. I'd  
better get going anyway," Link said. After saying this, he turned and ran  
back to where the evil monsters were.  
  
Tetra heard loud thumping noises soon after and concluded that the  
Stalfoses had spotted Link. She heard a loud explosion soon after and saw  
smoke rising from the area. She strained her eyes anxiously to see if Link  
was alright, but the thick forest, along with the lack of sunlight,  
prevented her from seeing anything. After this, she heard more explosions  
and soon, silence.  
  
She spotted something approaching her from her right and quickly nocked an  
arrow to Link's bow, just in case. She was relieved to see that the figure  
was Link and that he was safe. "Hey, I thought you were on my side," Link  
said jokingly as he walked up to her. She laughed and lowered the bow to  
the ground beside her. "I was just being careful," she replied. He nodded  
and asked, "How are you feeling?"  
  
Tetra glanced at her ankle and gently wiggled her left foot. This action  
caused and explosion of pain there and she hissed through her teeth to keep  
from crying out. Link knelt beside her again and said, "You're not going  
to be walking until we get your ankle fixed." "But, we can't go back to  
the ship yet; we haven't even found anything out," she protested.  
  
"But, we did find something out," Link said. "And, what may I ask is  
that?" Tetra asked. "There's someone here who wants to get rid of the both  
of us and whoever it is has magic alike or similar to Ganondorf's," Link  
said. "How'd you figure that out?" she asked.  
  
"Well, isn't it obvious? Ever since we left Dragon Roost, we've been  
attacked four times. And, all of the monsters that attacked us, can easily  
be caused by Ganondorf's magic," Link replied. "We were only attacked by  
monsters three times," Tetra pointed out. "Yes, but that hurricane that  
hit us before we got to the island had to have been caused by someone.  
There's no other explanation for it. Something like that doesn't just pop  
up everyday, you know," Link said.  
  
"Somebody must really want to get rid of us if they're puling off stunts  
like that just trying to," she said with a shake of her head. "The bad  
thing is, if we have to keep fighting monsters all the time, they'll  
eventually win by slowly wearing us down. Not to mention, wearing out our  
supplies," Link said. "So, what can we do about it?" she asked. "Just  
avoid getting attacked until we can find out what's really going on, I  
guess," he said with a shrug.  
  
He flinched and, though he tried to hide it, Tetra noticed it. "Something  
must have happened to your arm when the Stalfos hit you into that monument.  
I saw you holding your right arm like it was injured or something," she  
said, not able to hide the concern she felt in her voice. "I probably just  
pulled a muscle or something; it's nothing to worry about. At least it's  
not like your ankle," Link said.  
  
She frowned at her left leg and said, "So, what do we do now?" "I'll have  
to carry you until we can find a place to lie down for the night. Then,  
I'll see if I can do anything about it," Link said. "You might as well;  
until this stupid ankle gets fixed, I won't be going anywhere," Tetra said  
with a resigned sigh.  
  
Link stood up again and asked, "You're sure that you don't mind me carrying  
you?" "I mind it, but not that much. As long as we're both out of harm's  
way for the time being, I'm happy," Tetra said. He nodded and carefully  
lifted her up into his arms. "Comfortable?" he asked. "As much as anyone  
could be in this position and with a sprained ankle," she replied. He  
grinned and said, "I don't think that your injury is that bad, but it's  
still not helping our situation." "Let's just find a place to stay for the  
night," she said wearily. He nodded and said, "Okay."  
  
They proceeded through the forest and soon, they could see the top of a  
rock wall just beyond the forest. "I bet we could find a cave or something  
there. Why don't we take a look and see?" Link suggested when he could see  
the top over the treetops. "Okay, but I don't like the look of those  
clouds," Tetra replied, pointing into the sky.  
  
There were dark, heavy clouds covering the entire sky above them and they  
had already blocked out the sun. It wasn't until they saw a flash of  
lightning in the clouds that they got nervous. "Uh, we should get out of  
the forest before that storm hits," Tetra said, eyeing the clouds  
uncomfortably. They heard an enormous clap of thunder and once he heard  
it, Link took off at a dead run.  
  
Rain began to pelt down upon them and soon they were both soaked to the  
bone. It was hard to see through the heavy rains, but Link still tried to  
find the way out of the forest. When they finally reached the edge of the  
forest, the rain seemed to come down even harder now that the trees were  
providing no shelter against it. The lightning flashed through the sky and  
struck down at the top of the rock wall. It was followed by terrifying  
thunder that roared like an enraged lion.  
  
Link, at last, spotted a cave opening and made a run for it. Suddenly,  
lightning struck the top of the rock wall again and this time, a boulder  
came crashing down. It rolled and bounced and would have hit Link and  
Tetra if Link hadn't dodged away. He dove for the cave just as a rain,  
this time of rocks, fell down with the boulder.  
  
Aria: Before anyone asks, the reason why the Stalfos was trying to strangle  
Tetra a little is because it had been trying to kidnap her. Why? Because,  
someone, not saying who, ordered it to. And, if anyone hasn't noticed, the  
fact that the weather seems to be against Link and Tetra is a big clue as  
to how powerful their unknown enemy is. But, I'm not dropping names. Oh,  
and the explosions Tetra heard were bombs going off that Link was using to  
blow up the Stalfos. It's a really quick way to get rid of them without  
getting killed. Anyway, I'll post chapter twenty-two tomorrow. Yeah, I  
know you hate me for the cliffhanger, but I swear that nothing bad will  
happen in the next chapter. Tell me what you think of this chapter! See  
you in chapter twenty-two! Hey! That rhymed! 


	22. Chapter 22: Within the Cave

Aria: Okay! I've finally sent Navi back to her, um, time and I've found a  
replacement through a suggestion of one of my reviewers. Everyone, please  
meet my new disclaimer person, King Darunia of the Gorons!  
Darunia: Hello! It's very nice to be here in this place. Uh, where are  
we?  
Aria: Um, my home in the clouds.  
Darunia: Oh. Uh, can I ask something?  
Aria: What is it?  
Darunia: Why are there three guppies in a fish tank over there? *points to  
fish tank*  
Aria: *sweat drops* Uh, those are my pets; sort of.  
Darunia: Huh?  
Aria: *laughs nervously* Um, well, actually, those are the goddesses, Din,  
Farore, and Nayru. They kinda did something that got on my nerves and I  
turned them into snails and then Navi dropped salt on them and I turned  
them into guppies.  
Darunia: *eyes bug out* H-h-how do you have more p-p-power than the g-g-  
goddesses?  
Aria: This is my story and I'm the authoress.  
Darunia: Oh.  
Aria: Anyway, I already explained what your job is, so can we hurry up?  
They're giving us dirty looks.  
Darunia: Oh, sorry. Aria Zephyr, the owner and authoress of The Way the  
Winds of Time Blow, does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their  
characters, etc.  
Aria: This is the last chapter before some really upsetting things happen.  
Enjoy?  
  
Chapter 22: Within the Cave  
  
When Tetra woke up again, she was lying on something cold and hard, but the  
feeling of comfortable well-being hung around her. She could hear the  
sound of a crackling fire nearby and the smell of something wonderful  
wafted to her. She opened her eyes and blinked to adjust them to the  
sudden light from the fire.  
  
"It's about time you woke up. I was starting to wonder if you were going  
to sleep forever," a joking voice said from nearby. "Very funny, Link.  
I'm laughing so hard," Tetra said sarcastically. "How are you feeling?" he  
asked. "My ankle doesn't feel too bad, as long as I don't move it," Tetra  
said, trying to get into a sitting position.  
  
"Where are we anyway?" she asked, peering all around her. "I found a cave  
in a rock wall and ran for it. You fell asleep," Link said. "Somehow, I  
noticed," Tetra said. The cave which they were in was rather roundish and  
there were a few small stalagmites and stalactites either coming up from  
the floor or hanging from the ceiling. A small fire burned merrily in  
front of her and the smoke blew out the opening of the cave.  
  
"Nice; sort of," Tetra said when she had gotten a good look at the entire  
interior of the cave. Link was holding a long sturdy stick which had a  
bottle tied to it by a string. The bottle was only slightly above the fire  
and it was filled with a warm goldenrod colored liquid.  
  
"What's that?" Tetra asked. "That's dinner. At least, once it's done  
heating," Link said, pulling the bottle back and checking it. "Are you  
sure that will be enough for the both of us?" she asked doubtfully. "Sure.  
There are two helpings and I had the forethought to bring an extra empty  
bottle, so I'll pour half of this into that one once this is finished  
heating," he said.  
  
He checked the soup and this time, there was a great deal of steam escaping  
from it, signifying that it was finished boiling. "So, what is this?"  
Tetra asked as Link poured half of the soup into an empty bottle. "It's my  
grandma's special soup. It's my sister's and my favorite. And, it's good  
for when you're sick, injured, or tired, because it fills you with energy,"  
Link replied, handing her the bottle.  
  
She looked at it skeptically, until Link said, "It's not going to bite you.  
It's really good; I swear." Tetra shrugged and took a sip of the liquid.  
She blinked for a second before saying, "This is wonderful. Your grandma  
must really be a good cook." "Of course she is. She's had to cook for  
Aryll and me for years, and my dad before that, so she's had lots of  
practice," Link said with a playful grin.  
  
"Where'd you get this stuff from, though? You can only keep things like  
this for so long before it goes bad," Tetra said. "Grandma sent me a  
package a few days ago and two bottles were inside. I was keeping them in  
that small icebox you let me have," he replied. "And, why didn't you tell  
anyone?" she asked. "Do you think I'd want to let those guys back on your  
ship know about this stuff? They'd eat it all and leave nothing left!"  
Link said, his eyes twinkling impishly. "They're pirates; they're supposed  
to have big appetites and steal stuff," Tetra said teasingly. "Not if I  
can help it!" he said.  
  
They both laughed at this and finished drinking the soup. Afterwards, the  
soup had left them with such a contented feeling and they were so tired,  
that they soon fell asleep.  
  
Aria: You guys are probably going to want to shoot me when I post the next  
chapters, so I'm giving you an early notice.  
Darunia: What happens?  
Aria: Rule No. 1: I can't tell you because it would ruin the surprise.  
Darunia: Oh. Okay.  
Aria: Here's a hint: I've been hinting towards who my evil person is for  
quite a few chapters. In chapter twenty-four, I'm finally revealing  
him/her/it/them. But, you have to read chapter twenty-three first and that  
one is kinda a doozy if you don't like scenes that make you cry. Anyway,  
read and review! Until chapter twenty-three! 


	23. Chapter 23: The Argument

Aria: Sorry it took me a while to post today! I got into trouble a few  
days ago and my parents won't let me use the computer, so I've had to sneak  
in updates. Also, I really hate to tell you all this but, my family is  
leaving to visit relatives in New Jersey on Wednesday and I might not be  
able to update on Tuesday or Wednesday and I won't be back until Sunday and  
might not be able to update until Monday! I'm warning you because by the  
way I've got the chapters rolling now; you're all going to be left at a  
really nasty cliffhanger. Sorry!  
Darunia: *shakes head worriedly* So, who's going to watch the goddesses  
while you're away?  
Aria: *gives him pitiful look* Could you look after them for me?  
Darunia: Alright, but shouldn't you have known better than to get in  
trouble?  
Aria: It was a perfectly human mistake! They're practically turning it  
into a federal case and I already said I was sorry about a million times!  
Sheesh! You sound like my mother!  
Darunia: She sounds mad. I might as well do the disclaimers now. Aria  
Zephyr, the owner and authoress of this story, does not own the Legend of  
Zelda games, their characters, etc.  
  
Chapter 23: The Argument  
  
Tetra awoke the next morning to the sun's rays warming her face. She  
blinked and surveyed her surroundings once her eyes had adjusted. She was  
still inside the cave and the remains of the fire from the night before lay  
in a neat pile at the center of the cave, but she couldn't see any sign of  
Link anywhere.  
  
She started to get to her feet, but a sharp pain in her leg caused her to  
cry out and fall back down to the cave floor. She lay there for a moment,  
unsure of what she should do next. She heard the sound of someone rushing  
towards the cave and lifted her head to see Link running up to her.  
  
"What happened? I heard you and ran back here as fast as I could," he said  
breathlessly, a look of concern on his face. "It's okay. I just tried to  
stand up, forgetting about my ankle, and it reminded me; loudly," Tetra  
said. He sat down next to her and helped her into a sitting position.  
  
"You really shouldn't have done that; you might have done more harm than  
good," Link rebuked, his voice belying his statement with his concern. "I  
know; but I already told you, I forgot," She replied. "So, what were you  
doing that you left me alone here for?" she asked, changing the subject.  
"I just wanted to get a better look at the area we're in. That  
thunderstorm really wreaked a lot of havoc on the plateau above us, but it  
barely did anything to the trees down here," Link said. "So, you went  
exploring, in other words," she said dryly. "Pretty much," Link replied.  
  
"Did you find anything interesting?" she asked. "In pirate's terms or  
hero's terms?" he asked. "Hero's," she said. Link flinched and said,  
"You're not gonna like this, but I found about ten Bokoblins running around  
while I was out there." "Wonderful; more monsters," she said  
sarcastically. "Anything else?" "Not really, except when I went back to  
that clearing we were in the day before, I noticed something different  
about that arch," he said.  
  
"You went back there?" Tetra asked in disbelief. "Why?" "It seemed really  
suspicious that those Stalfoses suddenly showed up when we reached that  
clearing. I wanted to see if they were guarding anything," Link said  
sheepishly. "So, what seemed different?" she asked once her shock had worn  
off. "There seemed to be these strange ornaments on it along with the  
writing," he replied. "Well, then, let's go see them!" Tetra said, nearly  
starting to her feet before Link caught her arm.  
  
"Hold it. There are a number of reasons why either of us, especially you,  
shouldn't leave right now," Link said determinedly. "And, they are?" Tetra  
asked. "First, your ankle is still sprained and if you go charging off  
into the forest to see that arch, you could twist it or worse. Second,  
there are a lot of monsters out there and, with your ankle, you're in no  
condition to fight them. And, third, you still need to let your ankle take  
a break, before you start using it again. Anyway, I don't think you want  
to be carried again and even if you did, if any monsters attacked us, it  
would be very hard to fight them like that," Link said firmly, crossing his  
arms in a final manner.  
  
"Oh, fine. We'll stay here for today, but tomorrow, I want to see that  
arch again," Tetra said sulkily. "Fine by me," Link said. He turned  
around as if he was going to walk out of the cave. "Where are you going?"  
Tetra asked. "For a walk," Link said without looking over his shoulder.  
"Oh, that's a real smart thing to do; just leaving me here by myself!" she  
spat crossly.  
  
Link turned around to face her and he looked furious. "Tetra, why are you  
all of a sudden being so tyrannical?!" he demanded. "Because, you're being  
so pigheaded!" she snapped. "Then, why should I stay here if you're going  
to be so insulting?" he said. "If you don't want to be here, then just go  
already!" Tetra snarled. "Fine! I'm going and I'm not coming back!" Link  
said.  
  
After saying this, he ran out of the cave and vanished into the forest.  
Suddenly, Tetra felt a sense of loneliness and realized what exactly she  
had said. "Link, come back!" she cried in vain.  
  
Aria: Yeah, I know; evil cliffhanger! Scream! I'm already feeling guilty,  
so please understand my situation here.  
Darunia: What do guppies eat?  
Aria: There's a container of fish flakes by the fish tank! Just feed them  
once in the morning and once in the evening and only give them a quarter-  
teaspoonful!  
Darunia: *writes notes on notepad* Got it!  
Aria: Anyway, that's it for chapter twenty-three. Please read and review? 


	24. Chapter 24: The Introduction of the Witc...

Aria: I'm glad no one said anything bad about that last chapter. I was  
worried!  
Darunia: I'd think they'd be more upset with what you told them last time.  
Aria: Oh, about my family vacation? Well, here's the deal: try not to get  
your hopes up about the next update. I may or may not be able to squeeze  
it in tomorrow. And, I won't be able to update until the 13th or 14th of  
July. Sorry again! Anyway, about this chapter: I'm finally revealing who  
the person is who wants to, well, for lack of a better phrase, kill Tetra  
and Link. Also, I'm telling, in a subtle way, what happened to the Hero of  
Time. Alright, Darunia, your turn.  
Darunia: Aria Zephyr, the owner and authoress of this story, not to mention  
my latest employer, does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their  
characters, etc. Though, I must say, it would be interesting if she did.  
Aria: Uh, thanks, Darunia. I think. Um, here's chapter twenty-four!  
  
Chapter 24: The Introduction of the Witch and her Eternal Prisoner  
  
On another part of the island, far from this scene, someone was watching  
this disaster with great delight. "You're such a cruel person, Natalia;  
relishing at the pains of that girl. Shame on you!" a voice said.  
  
A young woman with bright orange hair contrasting against her very dark  
skin turned in her seat to face the speaker. "Humph! And, you are such a  
judge how? Don't forget, my dear, you are still my prisoner and I am still  
a witch!" she said. "I am not your dear, Natalia. Nor am I the dear of  
your accursed father!" the voice said in ice-laced tones. The voice was  
coming from a large slender-necked bottle which was sitting on a dusty  
shelf in the dimly lighted room.  
  
The entire place looked like no one had lived there for years, even though  
the witch showed no trepidation. "You may say what you wish about me or my  
father, but that will change nothing for your situation," She said icily as  
she turned to face the mirror through which she had been watching the  
argument between Link and Tetra.  
  
"As I have already said, you are a very cruel woman to enjoy watching other  
suffer," the voice said obstinately. "I have always enjoyed watching  
others suffer," she replied loftily. "My dearest mother taught me how to  
hate your kind, my dear. After all, wasn't it you who sent my father to  
the Evil Realm?" she said, her voice ringing with malice. The voice was  
silent as she continued.  
  
"After you defeated him, my mother took me away from our fortress so that  
my mind would not be spoiled by talk of peace with your land and your  
people. Mother taught me many spells, as she herself knew magic. She was  
even able to reach my father through her magic and have him teach me what I  
needed to know so that I could take revenge upon you and the lady," she  
said with a terrible gleam in her eyes.  
  
She turned around on her stone seat to face the bottle, which seemed to be  
milky colored, but when one looked very closely, they could see something  
swirling about inside. "You were such a little fool; thinking you could  
stop me. And yet, you knew that your power had waned and that I was many  
times stronger. So, little hero, why did you come to this land many years  
ago to challenge me?" she demanded. "That is for my knowledge and not  
yours," the person within it said.  
  
"Bah! You are a fool! Just as my father said, you are! Tis a pity those  
foolish people actually thought that you would save them," the witch said  
without mercy. "Fools must live with their foolishness. You are the fool,  
Natalia, not me," the voice contended. "And, how do you figure that?"  
Natalia asked. "Simple; the people of Hyrule banished you once and their  
descendants shall do it again," the voice replied.  
  
At this, the witch raised an eyebrow. Somehow, she smiled evilly and  
started to laugh. It was not a happy laugh, nor an amused one. It was a  
laugh of pure mockery and spite. "Those pitiful people? Banish me? I  
think not! They would need the power of the gods themselves to stop me  
now!" She cackled. "I know not what you mean," the voice said.  
  
The witch stopped her laughter and said, "You do really think that I would  
spend over a thousand years in captivity without learning new magic?! My  
father contacted me through his magic and let me learn spells whose power  
you could not even guess. He, too, made new spells and new curses and he  
let me know his knowledge before that child stopped him."  
  
"And, with these spells I have reduced those who would aid my enemies to  
not much more than tiny nuisances," the witch concluded. "And, who would  
that be?" the voice asked defiantly. She jerked her head towards a series  
of small, covered objects behind her and said, "They're in those cages.  
But, I don't think I shall tell you who they are right now, so that you can  
drive yourself mad trying to find out." The voice made a sound rather like  
a disgusted snort and the witch rolled her eyes.  
  
She turned and looked into her mirror once more. Strangely, though  
everything else was covered with dust and dirt, the mirror was sparklingly  
clean and shone with an odd brightness. "I have watched that girl and that  
boy," she said, staring into the images on the mirror's surface. "It seems  
that the girl does not realize the immense powers within her. If she did,  
she most likely would have what she most desires already."  
  
"What powers would a mere girl have?" the voice asked. The witch turned to  
face the bottle again. Her eyes showed a look of contempt for the owner of  
the voice. "My dear fool, do you not realize who that girl is?" she said.  
"No," the voice replied. The witch rolled her eyes and turned to her  
mirror. She looked over her shoulder slightly and said, "The girl is the  
heiress of Hyrule, Princess Zelda."  
  
The voice seemed almost shocked, because the palpable silence seemed rather  
startling. The witch cackled again and said, "How very slow you have  
become over the years! To not recognize the girl for whom she really is!  
You are the most pathetic fool that has ever lived!"  
  
She looked into her mirror, at an image of a boy walking through a dark  
forest, rubbing his eyes as if they hurt or he was trying to rub away  
tears. "Still, there is something about this boy that I cannot grasp.  
There is a certain quality that seems so familiar, yet so distant. What is  
it about him that I, of all people, cannot see?" she said. "He seems so  
willing to protect that girl, even though he may get hurt in the process.  
What a simple creature." "I don't see how this boy could have possibly  
defeated my father, but he did somehow," she muttered.  
  
She swung around to face the bottle again and said, "What about you? What  
is your opinion of this-this brat?" "He seems to be a true person who  
would rather risk his life trying to help another than to stay in the  
shadows and hide," the voice replied. The witch raised a disapproving  
eyebrow again and scoffed.  
  
"This from one who is no longer amongst the living? Oh, do act your age!  
You could not possibly connect with this boy who has lived his life without  
so much as an inkling of his land's past!" she snarled. The voice seemed  
to bristle at this remark and retorted, "And, you? Who has spent her  
entire life trying to end those of others?!"  
  
"I live a better fate than that of your own!" she said. "You, who was  
bound to his fate before you were even born; bound to a fate where you  
would die at the hands of the ones whom you defeated!" As she said this,  
she stood up from her place and her enraged magic made her long hair whip  
around her face and her dark robes flutter around her.  
  
"You, foolish hero, came here, knowing you would die! Didn't you?!" she  
demanded. All was silent until the witch spoke again. "Answer me!" she  
cried. "I did," the voice said. "I did know that my fate would be sealed  
if I came here when I did. But, why I did and for what reason is not for  
you to know," the voice said with unerring calmness.  
  
The witch screamed in rage and grabbed the bottle from the shelf. "Do you  
know why you were imprisoned within this bottle when my father and I  
disposed of you?" she shouted. "We wanted you to suffer! To know how it  
feels to be trapped within a world with no escape!"  
  
She seemed to regain her composure and set the bottle on the shelf again.  
"But, I imagine how you must have felt when your dear friends came here to  
banish me from this world. They forgot you; left you here, to rot! That  
must have been quite an experience," she said coldly. "How I felt then is  
not of your concern!" the voice cried. But, there was a broken feeling to  
that cry and the witch sensed it.  
  
"They betrayed you and left you here until the end of time! What a cliché  
that must have been! You, the one who once used time to your devices,  
having to wait for its end! What poetic justice!" she cackled. "Stop it."  
the voice said weakly. "What was that?" the witch said mockingly. "I say,  
I didn't hear that." "I said: stop it!" the voice cried. The witch only  
laughed once more and turned on her heel to look about the room.  
  
"Does it not seem strange to you that even though there was a powerful seal  
upon my father, he escaped?" she said, picking up an object off another  
shelf and dusting it with the edge of her robes. "With the Master Sword in  
its place and the seven sages in their temples, that should not have  
happened," the voice replied tartly.  
  
She looked up from her polishing job and said, "Do you not realize that  
there was more to that seal than you thought?" "No," the voice replied.  
"Then, let me explain it to you," the witch said, walking back to her  
simple stone seat and sitting down.  
  
"There was a way for my father to return without breaking the seal of the  
Master Sword; but in order for this way to work, he had to have an agent in  
this world to pull it off. Can you guess who that agent was?" she said,  
smiling wickedly. "You," the voice replied wrathfully.  
  
She smiled more broadly, showing her very white teeth, and said, "Indeed; I  
was the one who allowed my father to escape. But, surely you have an idea  
how I did it?" "Surely not," came the bitter reply. "You have to mix and  
spill the blood of those who sealed the imprisoned upon the doorway to the  
Evil Realm. I bet you're wondering how I did that without killing all of  
you first," the witch said in a voice without mirth. "Indeed." the voice  
replied.  
  
"It was very simple really. All I had to do was get a least a drop of  
blood from everyone who the spell applied to and then smear all of it on  
the gateway," the witch said. "Well.that's not everything I did. I think  
I did take somewhat more than what I needed from some of those I needed to  
extract blood from, if you know what I mean," she said with her cruel  
smile.  
  
"Murderess! You killed the sages, didn't you?!" the voice cried. "How  
very right you are." she said, smiling delicately. "It was so very easy.  
All I had to do was lure them away from their precious temples and WHAM!  
They were gone and their blood was spilling on the ground before me," she  
said, throwing out one hand for reference.  
  
"But, then, even when I had the blood of all seven sages, I still needed  
that of Hyrule's princess and its hero," she said, a truly terrible look  
crossing her face. She held the item she had been polishing out to the dim  
light and it turned out to be a knife. However, the blade was as black as  
the night sky at midnight.  
  
"Do you know what this is?" she asked. There was no reply, so she  
continued. "This is the very knife that I plunged into the hearts of each  
and every one of the people I killed. Its blade used to shine as silver as  
the moon, but after the many killings it has done, the blade has since  
turned black."  
  
"It is also with this knife that I took the blood from the lady herself. I  
just snuck in and cut the girl, ever so slightly, and caught the drops as  
they fell. You, on the other hand, when you came here, gave me exactly  
what I needed. So, in essence, you brought my father back out of your own  
accord."  
  
The voice seemed almost defeated as a dreadful silence set into the room.  
But, the witch broke that silence. "And now.now that my father has once  
again been sealed and I am free once more, I intend to repeat that spell  
and stop the royal family's line before it gets another chance to pass on.  
As such, that girl and that boy have just walked themselves into my trap,"  
she said wickedly.  
  
With that, she threw her head back and laughed the most mirthless, horrible  
laugh imaginable. "They're so vulnerable now," the witch said after she  
had finally stopped her cackling. "Now is the perfect time to strike."  
  
Aria: AH! Pretty scary, huh? I think that if anyone can't guess who  
Natalia really is or who exactly is trapped in that bottle, then I have  
completely failed in giving everyone exceedingly obvious hints!  
Darunia: I think it's perfectly obvious who they are. The person in the  
bottle is-  
Aria: *quickly zips his mouth shut with magic* Don't tell them! They have  
to guess! I don't want anyone, even you, to give away the secrets! *unzips  
his mouth*  
Darunia: *rubs back of head with hand* Sorry.  
Aria: It's okay. At least, you listen to me. Unlike a certain fairy whom  
I've banished from my realm.  
Darunia: I listen because I feel compelled to pay attention to what my  
employer asks me to do.  
Aria: Why, thank you! He is SO much better behaved than Navi! This is  
great!  
Darunia: When will you change the goddesses back? I heard that you'll have  
to in a coming chapter.  
Aria: Um, before chapter twenty-seven, I think. I'll have to read over the  
latter chapters again.  
Darunia: I think we've chatted long enough, don't you?  
Aria: Right. Okay, how'd you like this chapter? If you can guess who my  
mystery characters are, send in your guess with a review and in chapter  
twenty-five, I'll tell you if you were right. You know, Natalia and the  
person in the bottle. That's it until next time! Read and review! See  
ya! 


	25. Chapter 25: The Nightmare Comes True

Aria: Ah, I actually was able to update today! But, like I've been saying  
for the last few chapters, don't expect any more chapters until the 13th or  
14th of July. So many people guessed correctly who my mystery characters  
are! I'm not going to blurt it out, but you get the idea. And, to Dark  
Dragon: yes, I know that Darunia's supposed to be dead. He's a spirit here  
and he's only doing my disclaimers, so please lay off. He's WAY better  
mannered than Navi was. Not to mention, he hasn't gotten himself into  
trouble once since he came here! Get used to spirits of the dead hanging  
around because one is going to be a major character in a coming chapter.  
Anyway, I did the Link-Tetra fight because it adds a dramatic touch to the  
story. Also, instead of making them hate each other, well, just read this  
chapter and find out! Darunia, your turn!  
Darunia: The omnipotent authoress and the owner of this story, Aria Zephyr,  
does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, etc. You get the  
idea.  
  
Chapter 25: The Nightmare Comes True  
  
Tetra awoke in the middle of the night with a horrified scream. Her body  
had broken out in a cold sweat and she was breathing heavily as if she had  
just been running for her life. She looked around at her surroundings and  
was surprised to see that she was still inside the cave, yet all alone.  
  
She had sat up when she had screamed and now, she drew her knees close to  
her body with an unhappy whimper. "It.was just.a dream.a really terrifying  
dream, but a dream nonetheless," she whispered to herself. She looked  
around for any sign of Link and was suddenly reminded of their fight. She  
whimpered again and tear slid slowly down her cheek.  
  
'I have to find him; there's no telling where he is, but if he's as upset  
about that fight as I am, he might have done something drastic!' Tetra  
thought. She stood up slowly and when she did, she spotted Link's bow and  
arrows lying on the floor. 'He must have forgotten them when he ran. I  
hope he's alright,' Tetra thought as she picked up the bow and arrows off  
the cave floor.  
  
She picked up the other few things that lay around the cave and started out  
into the forest. She first noticed how dark it was. The sky was draped  
with dark, foreboding clouds that shut out all, if any, light. Tetra  
quickly used her breath to light the Star Light and a small area around her  
was filled with a soft, silvery light.  
  
As Tetra walked quietly through the silent forest, the light from her Star  
Light seemed to give the gnarled, old trees some sort of personality. They  
all looked like they had been twisted and tortured into their present  
shapes and the way their trunks were wrinkled made them seem to be enduring  
a great agony. Tetra tried to avoid looking at them, as they made her feel  
nervous in the already nerve-racking forest, but her attempts did not help  
her much.  
  
The silence and the general feeling of anxiety started to remind Tetra of  
the horrible dream that had awoken her not so long ago. The scenes from  
the nightmare began to replay themselves in her mind, mocking her with  
their presence. Tetra finally shook off the memory and continued to trudge  
through the forest.  
  
Suddenly, something dark and quick shot up behind her and slammed her into  
a tree. Though the impact stunned her for a moment, Tetra managed to keep  
her hold on the Star Light and the other things she was carrying in her  
hands. Even so, Tetra gave a loud cry of pain and surprise that echoed  
through the muted forest even after she had struck the tree.  
  
Tetra swung her gaze to meet her attacker and nearly gasped in surprise. A  
lone, dark warrior in black armor and carrying a massive sword made of some  
strange metal stood before her, leering at her menacingly. Remembering  
Link's bow and arrows that she still carried, Tetra tried to defend  
herself. With a disdainful cackle, the warrior knocked them from her hands  
and raised its sword as if to strike her.  
  
Abruptly, someone came running out of the darkened woods and shoved the  
monster away from Tetra. It fell back and was momentarily too surprised to  
react. "Link?!" Tetra gasped when she saw him. He turned to face her and  
smiled sheepishly. "Look, Tetra, we can argue later, but we really need to  
get away from here now," he said, his voice ringing with urgent tones.  
Tetra nodded and got to her feet.  
  
The warrior was rising to its feet again just as Link grabbed his bow and  
arrows in one hand and Tetra's hand in the other and ran. They could hear  
the warrior's roar of frustration at their escape even as they tore through  
the forest. Finally, Link slowed his pace and they stopped at the very  
edge of the clearing where the olden monument stood.  
  
"Link, why did you come back?" Tetra asked when they both got their breath.  
"I heard you scream and I was running to see what had happened when I  
heard you yell. I was worried about you," Link replied. "Then, about what  
happened before." She began. "I'm so sorry about what I said, Tetra! I  
never meant to say that! I just was so annoyed with you and you were being  
so obnoxious that I just lost control. Please say that you'll forgive me  
for leaving you?" he said pleadingly.  
  
"Link, I'm the one who should be apologizing! I really shouldn't have been  
so mean to you," Tetra said. "Then, I suppose, that we forgive each  
other?" Link said sheepishly. Tetra nodded and to both of their surprise,  
she threw her arms around him and hugged him.  
  
"I missed you," she whispered. Link had turned a shade of deep crimson,  
but he said, "Same here. Though, I could do without your slight  
eccentrics." Tetra knew that the remark was intended as a joke and laughed  
softly. "You should speak for yourself. You're the one who always charges  
straight ahead without thinking about how badly things could go for you,"  
she said. "That's how I am," Link said playfully. Tetra grinned and  
rolled her eyes, pretending to be exasperated.  
  
Just as she let go of him, a blast of blue energy shoved Tetra away.  
"Tetra!" Link yelled as the dark warrior appeared and captured him in a net  
of energy. "Let me go!" he yelled desperately, struggling to see if Tetra  
had been hurt. As Tetra slowly got to her feet, the warrior used another  
blast of energy to form glowing chains that bound her wrists and kept her  
from going anywhere.  
  
When she saw Link trapped within the net and the triumphant warrior  
sneering at them, Tetra's eyes suddenly widened. She had seen this before,  
in her dream that had wakened her. To her horror, she knew what was going  
to happen next.  
  
"No! Please don't take him away!" she cried, straining against her bonds.  
As if in a cruel reply, the monster took hold of the net trapping Link.  
Power surged through it and stung Link with terrible pain. Then, he went  
limp and the net vanished.  
  
Now, Tetra was getting desperate. This all had been in her dream and soon,  
she would be all alone. The warrior bet slightly and hauled Link up  
roughly. The boy had been knocked unconscious by the net's power and hung  
lifelessly as he was jerked off the ground. The warrior began to chant in  
a strange language and started to glow with a dark energy.  
  
'Please, somebody, anybody, don't let him take Link away. Please,' Tetra  
thought as despondent tears began to run down her face. The chains binding  
her never lessened their strength as the power that the monster was calling  
grew and grew.  
  
Suddenly, the monster cackled and vanished, taking Link with him in a blur  
of dark power.  
  
Darunia: A MONSTER JUST KIDNAPPED LINK AND YOU'RE GOING TO JUST LEAVE THEM  
THERE FOR FIVE DAYS?!  
Aria: Hey! I don't exactly want to go away for five days, but I don't have  
any choice! Anyway, this is the nastiest cliffhanger I've pulled yet, so  
lay off, will ya?  
Darunia: But-but-but!  
Aria: But, what? I know this is a bad place to leave them, but I really  
don't have any choice! How many times must I repeat this? I'd love to  
stay here and update every day, but I'm running out of chapters to update  
with because I haven't been allowed near a computer for five freaking days!  
I already apologized about a million times! I don't like having to leave  
them hanging any more than they do! Sheesh! The things an authoress has  
to cope with! Okay, I'm going to be perfectly realistic about this  
situation here. I expect that you're all going to be breathing down my  
neck until the next update and voicing your complaints through reviews.  
So, that's it until next time. Please read and review! See you all soon!  
Darunia: She gets a vacation and I have to feed the transfigured goddesses!  
What is this world coming to?! 


	26. Chapter 26: The Secret of the Medallions

Aria: Oh, I am SO glad to finally be back! I missed everyone SO MUCH!  
Even the pissed off guppy goddesses!  
Darunia: You said that you'd be back in five days! You left us all on the  
8th and you haven't updated since today! That's six days, woman!  
Aria: Hey! Cut me some slack! You don't have to yell at me like that!  
And, you don't have to be insulting, either! I'm only fifteen; not twenty-  
one!  
Darunia: You could have checked in on us yesterday, though.  
Aria: What is this?! The freaking Inquisition?! Look, I tried to update  
yesterday, but my dad made me go to bed before I even had much of a chance!  
Gimme a break!  
Darunia: But, you didn't have to feed these ungrateful guppies for six  
days! They were practically staring lasers at me!  
Aria: That's 'cause they're still pissed that I turned them into guppies.  
They'll get over it when I turn them back. And, if they don't, I'll zap  
them again. Happy?  
Darunia: Somewhat.  
Aria: Good. Anyway, like I said at the beginning, I missed everyone! I  
got so many reviews too! Everyone was upset about the nasty cliffhanger  
(^____^), but you'll all get over it because I'm posting two chapters  
today! Whee! Oh and for those of you who didn't guess what my mysterious  
monster was that kidnapped Link in the last chapter; it was a Phantom  
Ganon. Okay?  
Link: Very much so not!  
Aria: You're just upset because you're not going to be in the next few  
chapters.  
Link: That and you didn't even tell them who kidnapped me! I know it's  
really obvious, but the point of it all!  
Aria: Oh come on! You KNOW I love being a cryptic little pest! They do  
too! I told them myself!  
Link: But, what if something happens to Tetra and I can't help her? (Awww!  
He's worried about her!)  
Aria: No harm will come to the heiress of Hyrule as long as I am the  
authoress of this story. She'll be fine! Don't worry! Now, go back to  
the torture chamber.  
Darunia: (0_o) ARIA! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!  
Aria: Uh, oops. I shouldn't have said that. Um, Darunia, you do the  
disclaimers. I'm going to put a shield spell around myself to deflect  
angry people.  
Darunia: *slaps forehead* Okaaaaayyyy. The settting-herself-up-for-  
assaasination authoress and owner of this story, Aria Zephyr, does not own  
the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, etc. I'm starting to wonder  
why I took this job.  
Aria: *from very, very, very, VERY high cloud* Enjoy this chapter! I  
think.  
  
Chapter 26: The Secret of the Medallions  
  
"NO! LINK!" Tetra cried in despair. Angry tears welled in her eyes as the  
magical chains released her and dropped her to the ground. She found her  
Star Light at the foot of the tree's trunk, as her sorrowful tears ran down  
her face and onto the ground. When she picked up the Star Light, its faint  
glow brightened and another one, not far from her, also sprang up.  
  
Tetra looked to where the other light came from and saw that a soft, tiny,  
golden light was coming from the forest a little way away from her. She  
walked over to where it was and found Link's Star Light glowing as it hung  
on the low-slung branch of a tree. She gently freed its delicate chain  
from the branch.  
  
The glow began to subside, but not before a glint of gold caught her  
attention. A small, triangular medallion of a sort lay at the foot on the  
tree, entangled in a mess of broken twigs. She reached for the tiny thing  
and extracted it from the tangle. When she picked it up, a tingle ran down  
her spine. She nearly dropped it in surprise and realized that it had the  
emblem of the Triforce upon it.  
  
'How did this get here? The Star Light must have been dropped when that  
monster attacked Link, but how could this thing have gotten here? What is  
it? And, why did it give me that odd feeling like it's trying to remind me  
of something?' Tetra wondered as she studied the medallion.  
  
She turned around to walk back into the clearing and was shocked to see two  
glowing triangles on the arch. One was at the top of the arch and the  
other was on one of the pillars and they were both glowing fiercely. 'What  
in the world?' Tetra thought just as the medallion in her hand seemed to  
start pulling her towards the arch. "Huh?" Tetra gasped. The "tugging"  
became more insistent and Tetra approached the arch.  
  
It was less covered with climbing vines and moss than it had been before.  
Both of the glowing triangles were about the same size as the medallion in  
Tetra's hand and the carvings on the arch were easier to see. It was an  
ancient language that Tetra couldn't understand, but there was only one  
message written there, as it seemed.  
  
"I wonder what this means," Tetra thought aloud as she traced the carvings  
along one pillar with her fingers. Almost out of the blue, as Tetra  
touched the carvings, a simple statement appeared in her mind: 'Three  
goddesses; three pearls; three keys; all must be in place for the gateway  
to the land beyond to open.'  
  
Tetra jerked her hand back as if she had been stung. "What? Where did  
that come from?" She yelped. She eyed the arch suspiciously and noticed a  
triangular hollow on the pillar that had no glowing triangle.  
  
It was the left pillar and when she noticed this, the medallion gave a  
sharp jerk in her hand. "Hey!" Tetra said in protest to the medallion's  
strange effects on her. She looked at it and then looked back at the empty  
hollow. 'Could this thing belong there?' She wondered as she looked from  
one to the other. 'I guess there's no way in knowing unless I try and put  
this there. Oh, well; here goes!' Tetra thought as she raised the  
medallion to the hollow and pushed it in.  
  
It was a perfect fit. The medallion flashed brightly when it was placed in  
the hollow and the other two flashed as well. A bright glow began to form  
in the archway and a light started to emanate from it. Tetra stepped back  
in surprise as the light got stronger.  
  
Soon, the light stopped getting brighter and the triangles stopped glowing  
to reveal that they were also golden medallions, except they were each  
slightly different. The one that Tetra had placed had a border or flowers  
around its edge. The one at the top had a border that looked like  
splashing waves around its edge. And, the last one, the one on the right  
pillar had a border of leaping flames around its edge.  
  
Tetra was standing squarely in front of the glowing archway as she was  
studying the medallions. She was entirely unaware of the tiny whistling  
sound that something was making as it rushed towards her. When she did  
finally notice it and was turning to see what it was, the brightly glowing  
something hit her in the back and pushed her into the unknown beyond the  
archway.  
  
Link: YOU SAID NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HER! WHERE DID YOU SEND HER?!  
Aria: It's official; this IS an Inquisition! I am not going to tell you  
where Tetra is, but I can tell you that she's very safe there. And, you  
are supposed to be where your evil captor put you!  
Link: But, but, but!  
Aria: No buts, mister! I'm really sorry about this, but back you go!  
*snaps fingers and Link vanishes*  
Darunia: But, if what you said was true-  
Aria: HE'S NOT GOING TO GET KILLED! THAT DARNED BLASTED WITCH CAN'T KILL  
HIM! AND, I'M NOT SAYING WHY! I'M NOT REPEATING THIS AGAIN! TETRA IS  
SAFE AND LINK IS ALIVE! WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO SAY TO GET YOU OFF MY  
BACK?!  
Darunia: 0______o  
Aria: *panting heavily* Okay. Sorry about that. I had to blow off a  
little steam; that's all.  
Guppies: (they're the goddesses still, but they've been fish for so long  
that I'm sure you get the idea) *eyes are still bugged out*  
Darunia: *clears throat* That was, interesting.  
Aria: Whatever. That's it for chapter twenty-six! Chapter twenty-seven  
will be right behind! Please read and review! 


	27. Chapter 27: The Mysterious Spirit

Aria: Darunia's starting to bug me about changing the goddesses back into  
their original forms again. I ALREADY TOLD YOU! NOT UNTIL CHAPTER TWENTY-  
NINE!  
Darunia: But, that's only two chapters!  
Aria: DUH! I know that! You'd think that I'm not the one who wrote this  
story by the way they act like I don't know what's going to happen! I'm  
omnipotent and omniscient! That means all knowing.  
Darunia: *sweat drops* Can we just get back to the story? Who's the main  
character this time?  
Aria: You'll just have to find out on your own. I'm not telling, but  
there's a little surprise ahead.  
Darunia: I hate it when she's being cryptic. Anyway, Aria Zephyr, my boss,  
the authoress of this story, and the owner of this story, does not own the  
Legend of Zelda games, their characters, blah blah blah.  
Aria: Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 27: The Mysterious Spirit  
  
The force of the blow coupled with the intense magic that swelled around  
her as she fell into an unknown place knocked her briefly out of  
consciousness. When she awoke, she was vaguely aware of warm sunlight and  
the sweet smell of flowers. She blinked as she opened her eyes and saw  
many pale flowers stretching out before her. She blinked again, this time  
in surprise, and sat up.  
  
She was sitting in the middle of a massive meadow with thousands of tiny,  
blossoming flowers all around her. She looked behind her and saw the stone  
arch, but not as she knew it. It was not beaten with weather and age and  
no plant of any sort clung to it. All of its stone was pure white and  
looked very smooth. Also, the carvings were not clogged with years of  
grime and wear; they were as sharp as the day they were carved, so it  
seemed. The golden medallions were still there, but the ones on the  
pillars seemed to have switched places.  
  
While she was trying to understand what had happened, a zephyr whirled  
through the serene land and blew some of her hair into her face. She  
brushed it away in annoyance with her right hand and realized that her hand  
was sheathed in a white, elbow-length glove and the golden symbol of the  
Triforce flashed upon it. With much shock, she realized that, somehow, she  
had become Princess Zelda once again.  
  
"Surprised that the Triforce of Wisdom found you again when you placed the  
Key of Courage in its proper place again?" a soft voice asked from behind  
her. Zelda turned and faced a woman who looked strangely familiar. She  
had long, golden hair that fell down to her waist and sapphire blue eyes  
that seemed rather amused at the girl's puzzlement. She was wearing a  
long, pink gown and gloves that looked very much like her own. And, a  
golden tiara crowned the top of her head.  
  
"I'll bet you're wondering who I am, Child," the woman said in soft, silken  
tones. "Well, to be perfectly frank, yes," Zelda replied after she got  
over her surprise. "I am one who has known you for a very long time. Ever  
since you were born, even," the woman said. "Did you know my mother?"  
Zelda asked. "I did, but not as a friend," the woman replied. "Then, who  
are you, exactly?" Zelda asked.  
  
The woman's eye twinkled with amusement and a smile formed on her face.  
"Such determination.people once said I was like that," she murmured. "You  
still haven't answered my question," Zelda said with impatient accents.  
The woman laughed and said, "My dear child, you are most certainly of the  
royal blood of Hyrule!"  
  
"How do you know about Hyrule? Most people in my time don't know a thing  
about it," Zelda said. "What do you mean by that? Have the people  
forgotten their homeland?" the woman asked with alarm. Zelda was hesitant  
to say anything, but the look on the woman's face called for an  
explanation. "Most people don't even know its name anymore. It's just a  
legend," she said.  
  
The woman looked shocked and she turned her face away. "I never thought in  
a thousand nightmares that the people could ever forget Hyrule. The  
endless meadows and forests; beautiful Lake Hylia; how could they forget?"  
the woman whispered.  
  
"It's covered with water. What used to be Hyrule is what people in my time  
know as the Great Sea," Zelda said with failing accents. The woman looked  
back at her with a shocked expression that quickly died away. "Of course.  
The goddesses sent the flood to save Hyrule at the last moment and everyone  
left. The land was washed away. I remember now," she said.  
  
"You lived in Hyrule during that time?" Zelda asked in shock. "Yes, I did.  
I remember how Hyrule was when Ganondorf tried to take it for his own,"  
the woman said. "B-but, if you were alive then, that would make you a."  
Zelda spluttered. "A ghost?" the woman asked with a gentle smile. "Nay,  
Child. I am no ghost. I am merely a spirit who speaks to you now because  
you have entered the Land beyond the Physical Land."  
  
"Does that mean that I'm." Zelda asked hesitantly. "No, you are not dead.  
You merely crossed into this world through the only physical gateway there  
is. Alas, that there is one. It is a great danger to both lands," the  
woman said with a troubled shake of her head.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Zelda asked. "The fact that there is a gateway  
through which the living can pass into this world poses a great danger as  
those who would use the land's purity for evil purposes," the woman  
replied. "But, who would do that?" Zelda asked. The woman gave her an  
inquiring look before shaking her head and saying, "No, if I tell you now,  
you won't understand. I must tell you about something that happened before  
Hyrule's fall first."  
  
Darunia: You are a very cruel authoress at times.  
Aria: I know! *giggles* Can anyone guess who the mystery spirit is? If I  
haven't been obvious enough, tell me. But, I'm pretty sure you all can  
guess.  
Darunia: *sweat drops* Are all authors and authoresses like you?  
Aria: Some of them. But, others are much worse.  
Darunia: Oh goddesses! *faints*  
Aria: *leans over edge of cloud to look at him* Was that my fault? Oops!  
*giggles mirthlessly* He'll wake up; eventually. Okay! How'd you like  
these latest installments? Tell me, tell me, TELL ME! I want to know!  
Believe you me! See ya in chapter twenty-eight! 


	28. Chapter 28: The Story of the Sacred Wood

Aria: Wow! So many people guessed correctly who the spirit is! Ta da!  
It's not like I DIDN'T think you'd all get it right, you know. I'm just  
curious to see whether I'm being obvious enough or not.  
Din: You are so freaking annoying sometimes.  
Aria: Watch it, missy! Just because I got too annoyed with Darunia's  
complaining and changed you three back doesn't mean I won't do it again  
when I get the chance!  
Nayru: *sips tea from teacup* I think she's going to zap Din again. Do  
you, Farore?  
Farore: Ditto.  
Darunia: Um, this is a Legend of Zelda story; not a Poke'mon one, Farore.  
Farore: *sweat drops* Darunia, "ditto" can mean "same here", "me too", you  
get the idea?  
Darunia: Oh. Silly me! *laughs uneasily*  
Farore: *sweat drops* Rrrrriiiiiiggghhtt.  
Aria: That's kinda annoying, Farore. But, I know what you mean.  
Darunia: Shouldn't you start describing the latest chapter so I can say the  
disclaimers and we can start?  
Aria: Oh, yeah. Sorry! If you all haven't already noticed, I changed the  
goddesses back to their original forms. Din's still being a crabby brat,  
Nayru's still telling her not to annoy me, and Farore's confusing the less  
informed. *smiles* Anyway, this chapter is mostly going to be the spirit of  
the former Princess Zelda telling the present Princess Zelda about what  
happened to the Forgotten Forest, what its previous name was, yadda yadda  
yadda. I'm sure you get the idea. Your turn, Darunia!  
Darunia: The very odd authoress and owner of this story, Aria Zephyr, does  
not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, yadda yadda yadda.  
AH! I'm starting to sound like her!  
Aria: *sweat drops* Darunia, you are seriously scaring me now. Um, here's  
chapter twenty-eight! Calm down, for goodness sake, Darunia! It's not  
that bad!  
  
Chapter 28: The Story of the Sacred Wood  
  
"This tale is neither a happy nor a pleasing one. It is about how a great  
evil came to the Sacred Wood and turned it into the evil land it has become  
today," the woman began, after she had settled herself onto a tree stump.  
Zelda sat opposite of her, also upon a tree stump.  
  
"Excuse me, but what is the Sacred Wood? I only know of a few forests that  
exist nowadays," Zelda interrupted. "The Sacred Wood is the place you were  
just in. Surely you know that?" the woman said. Zelda shook her head and  
said, "The Deku Tree called it the Forgotten Forest." "Then, with a name  
like that, I suppose that few know of the forest," the woman said in a  
dismayed tone.  
  
"Um, well, yes. The only people who really knew anything, however little,  
were the Deku Tree and Valoo," Zelda said. "Who?" the woman asked. "The  
Deku Tree and Valoo; honestly, were you even listening to me?" Zelda said.  
"No, I'm sorry. I know who the Deku Tree is, but I never met anyone named  
Valoo," the woman said quickly. "He's a dragon who lives on Dragon Roost  
Island," Zelda said. "Appropriate name," the woman remarked. "Now, if  
you'll let me continue without any interruptions, this will go much  
faster," the woman said. "Oh," Zelda murmured, shifting uncomfortably.  
  
"Now, let me begin. The history of the Sacred Wood really belongs at its  
beginning, when the goddesses created it as a sort of garden for  
themselves. They created this entire place, from the largest tree to the  
tiniest moss patch. They hollowed out an entire valley and filled it to  
the brim with the things they each liked the most."  
  
"The goddess Din made a small volcano at the valley's edge, to house her  
fire and to provide the land with a natural source of minerals. The  
goddess Nayru created a cool spring that flowed down into the valley from  
the high mountains as a waterfall and a thousand tiny brooks. The goddess  
Farore, after her sisters had created the right things for life, filled the  
land with flowers, trees, plants, and small animals."  
  
"When their special garden was complete, they shielded the area with a  
large mountain range, so that nothing could cross into the land and spoil  
its purity. The garden was created after all the rest of the land had been  
made, so by then, many peoples began to populate the place that was once  
known as Hyrule."  
"Occasionally, a fairy from the lower lands would be able to fly over the  
high mountains and catch a glimpse of the pure valley within. Those who  
ever saw even the smallest bit of the place told stories of an unspoiled  
place where no suffering occurred and the land was rich and fertile."  
  
"Eventually, the people began to wonder if such a place actually existed  
and tried to enter the hidden valley. Those who were more sensitive to the  
power of the goddesses knew that such attempts were annoying the goddesses  
and this was not a good sign. The people who tried to enter the hidden  
valley often wanted to reach the place, not to respect it as it was, but to  
use it for their own profit."  
  
"Finally, after someone like this did stumble into the land, the goddesses  
put a terrible curse in the surrounding mountains, so that if anyone  
without good intentions for the valley, ones that would not change it, ever  
entered it, they would be cursed for the rest of their natural lives."  
  
"This extreme measure was doubly needed because of the special gateway that  
resided within it. The goddesses, after they had created their special  
garden, decided that they should make another place for the souls of the  
pure of heart to go after they had died. In order to do this and to make  
it easier for the souls to cross into the world, they built a gateway in  
their garden that would allow the souls to pass more freely. They  
certainly did not want mortal crossing from their own lands into those of  
the dead, so the curse had that for another reason."  
  
"The people acknowledged how foolish they had been, to provoke such wrath  
from the goddesses, and gave the land a proper name. They called it the  
Sacred Wood, as there was an enormous forest within the valley and the  
place was indeed sacred."  
  
"It was centuries before anyone thought to go to the place at all, but one  
person with a truly evil heart wanted to see the place and turn its purity  
into something for evil purposes. Somehow, this person evaded the  
goddesses' curse and entered the valley. Upon its entry, this person  
quickly set about to draining the land of all good within it."  
  
"This was an extreme problem because the trees of the forest were not  
ordinary trees. They each had their own spirit who could roam about as  
easily as they pleased. When the person, a witch, entered the forest, she  
began to twist and torture the tree spirits, robbing them of their  
abilities and power. She also stole the power of Din's Mountain and used  
it to petrify many of the powerless trees. She raked up as many of the  
petrified trees and built herself a monstrous fortress in the heart of the  
valley. She then used whatever strange power she had and forced up the  
ground around her fortress so that a high wall of rock was between her  
fortress and the few living trees."  
  
"It was a while before the witch's destruction was noticed, as the people  
feared the Sacred Wood and still remembered the goddesses' anger when they  
had last ventured there. Eventually, one person knew something was wrong  
in that place and decided to go there. That person never returned."  
  
"After that, the witch began to threaten Hyrule, saying that the dark king  
would soon return and destroy the kingdom. Most of the people did not heed  
her threats, but as some began to realize that the six sages of the land  
were missing, they started to worry. The sages kept a significant amount  
of power on the seal that held Ganondorf in the Evil Realm and their  
disappearance arose great concern."  
  
"Just as many of the people began to take the witch's threats seriously, it  
was too late. Ganondorf returned and immediately started to take over  
Hyrule in his wrath. After hearing the desperate pleas of the people, the  
goddesses released an unstoppable rainstorm and washed away Hyrule beneath  
great floods. The goddesses chose two new sages, who would uphold the  
power of the Master Sword and seal away the wicked witch and Ganondorf."  
  
"It has been many years since then, but when Ganondorf did escape, someone  
else freed him. Of that, we are very certain. Someone had to have freed  
him the time before as well, or he would not have escaped. It seems that  
whoever released him before, did so again and allowed him to enter the land  
you now know. Unfortunately, we are unsure of how this was accomplished.  
But, the mysterious vanishing of the sages may have had something to do  
with it."  
  
The woman stopped and sighed heavily. "And, yet again, the witch has come  
forth and is trying to take the valley for her own," she said. "Did she,  
the witch, have powers similar to Ganondorf's?" Zelda asked tentatively.  
"Why, yes, she did," the woman said, surprised.  
  
"Then, I think that she may be the one who kidnapped my friend," Zelda  
said. "Your friend? You think that she may have taken your friend  
prisoner?" the woman asked. "Yes, because a monster that I thought only  
Ganondorf could create took him," Zelda said, struggling to keep from  
crying.  
  
The woman looked very troubled at this news. She got up from the stump she  
was sitting on and started to pace around the area with anxiety. "My  
child," she said finally, "You may not like to hear this, but often times,  
those who become the witch's captives never return alive." "What?! But,  
she can't! She couldn't!" Zelda cried in denial. "I'm afraid it is so,"  
the woman said sadly. "You might never see your friend again."  
  
Farore: You are very evil at times.  
Aria: *smiles* I know. Don't you just love evil cliffhangers like this?  
Din: Has she flipped her lid yet?  
Nayru: I can't tell. She's always like this.  
Aria: Don't make me turn you into goldfish!  
Din and Nayru: Eep!  
Farore: *sweat drops* This is getting very weird here.  
Aria: Whatever. This is a pretty long chapter and the cliffhanger isn't  
THAT bad, so maybe I'll leave you all here until I update again.  
Nayru: You're not serious!  
Aria: Yup.  
Din: AGH! Mad authoress! Somebody save us! *the goddesses start running  
chaotically around in circles*  
Aria: *sweat drops* I think they were saner as guppies.  
Darunia: How can you tell?  
Aria: *stares at him in disbelief* *eventually walks away, shaking head*  
Darunia: Is it something I said? 


	29. Chapter 29: The Caves of the Goddesses

Aria: Oh for goodness sake! Link isn't going to die! HOW MANY TIMES DO I  
HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF?! *pants*  
Nayru: She just got done reading her latest reviews. You reviewers sure  
know how to set her off!  
Farore: At least, we're not the victims.  
Din: Don't say that! You'll jinx us!  
Link: *pokes head from around cloud* Aria, are you okay? You sound really  
mad.  
Aria: *regains composure* Yes, Link; I'm fine. I just blew a gasket when  
my reviewers thought that you were going to die somewhere in the story.  
Link: *frowns* That would be more humane that what they're going to find  
out what's happening to me in chapter thirty-two.  
Aria: Link, I am merely the omnipotent authoress of this story. Anyway,  
that adds to the dislike of our resident evil people.  
Natalia (AKA: evil witch lady): *spots Link* There you are, my prisoner!  
Come back here!  
Link: YIPE! ARIA, MAKE HER LEAVE ME ALONE! *runs for dear life*  
Natalia: COME BACK HERE!  
Aria: Oh, good grief! *zaps Natalia*  
Natalia: *coughs* *falls over in charred heap*  
Aria: *bends over her* I really don't know WHY I made you so nasty. You're  
a real pain in the neck, you know?  
Natalia: Curse you, authoress!  
Aria: *yawns* Whatever! I'm still omnipotent, so you'd better skedaddle  
before I zap you again.  
Natalia: NEVER! *cackles*  
Farore: She's really gonna get it now!  
Aria: Have it your way then! *zaps Natalia again and sends her away*  
Link: Yay! She's gone!  
Aria: Unfortunately, you know I have to-  
Link: *looks sad* I know, I know. You have to send me back again.  
Aria: Sorry, Link! I know she's a real pain.  
Link: Just send me back already.  
Aria: Sorry again. *sends him away*  
Farore: Poor kid. I feel sorry for him.  
Darunia: While the females are sympathizing with our hero, I might as well  
do the disclaimers. Aria Zephyr, the authoress of this story, does not own  
the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, and so forth. She does own  
this story, though.  
Aria: Here's chapter twenty-nine!  
  
Chapter 29: The Caves of the Goddesses  
  
When she heard this, Zelda broke down into heartbroken tears. The woman  
fluttered to her side and tried to comfort her, but to no avail. "Child,  
please don't cry. This friend of yours must mean more than I thought it  
did," the woman said. "Of course he does!" Zelda cried suddenly. "I."  
Her voice faltered and a single tear slid down her cheek. "I care for Link  
so much," she whispered softly.  
  
The woman reacted strongly to this announcement and she lifted her hand  
from the girl's shoulder as if she had become a hot coal. "What's the  
matter?" Zelda asked. The woman acted as if she hadn't heard her,  
murmuring something to herself. "Impossible.couldn't have.but how?" were  
all that Zelda could understand through the woman's distressed mumble.  
  
"Are you alright? Say something!" Zelda said, puzzled by the woman's  
strange reaction. The woman shook her head and turned her gaze to meet  
that of the girl. "There is considerably more to this problem than I  
thought," she said. "Follow me." Then, she got to her feet and started  
off in the direction of a nearby stream.  
  
Zelda followed her, having to pull up the hem of her skirt in order to keep  
up. "Where are we going?" she asked. "To see someone who can help you  
unlock the hidden talents you have. Now, don't speak while we go there.  
It will waste your breath and we haven't a moment to lose," the woman said.  
  
When they reached the stream, they followed it to its source: a giant  
waterfall spilling from a cliff. The woman slipped around the crashing  
water and when Zelda followed, she saw that there was a cave behind the  
waterfall. It was very dark, cool, and damp inside, so Zelda took out her  
Star Light.  
  
"Where did you get that?" the woman asked in surprise when she saw the star-  
shaped jewel. "A fairy gave it to me. Link also got one, but he dropped  
it and I picked that one up too," Zelda replied before she blew on the gem  
and caused it to glow.  
  
The silver light lit up the cave and revealed that the woman was slightly  
see-through. Zelda nearly dropped the Star Light when she realized this,  
but was able to keep her grip. "It's not surprising that a spirit should  
be rather ghost-like," the woman said, as if guessing Zelda's source of  
surprise. "You may keep that lit, but don't lose track of me in the caves.  
It is very easy to lose oneself in this place." Zelda nodded and started  
following her again when she started into the caves.  
  
There were many twists and turns and openings to other passageways within  
the caves, but the woman seemed to know her way around as she walked  
swiftly through them. Finally, a glare of light appeared as an opening  
came into view and soon they were standing outside of the caves.  
  
There were three strange structures ahead of them. Each of them looked  
like an elegant throne, but they were made of different materials. One was  
made of glowing red stones that burned with bright flames. The second was  
made of a water fountain that sprayed water droplets from its basin. The  
last was made of flowers and vines that curled around themselves.  
  
Zelda covered the Star Light with her hand to extinguish the light as the  
woman stepped forward. "Three goddesses; three pearls; three keys; all are  
in place. Din, Nayru, Farore! Please aid this girl, my descendant!" she  
called.  
  
Suddenly, each of the thrones blazed with their elements. Fire leapt up  
from the first chair; the water of the fountain swirled in the second; and  
wind whirled around the third. Each of them glowed brighter and brighter  
until their light was stronger than that of the Star Lights.  
  
Abruptly, the light flashed and dissipated. Three beautiful spheres glowed  
faintly on the seat of each chair. The woman stepped forward and the three  
spheres floated off the chairs and to Zelda. The one from the first chair  
was the color of fire and something almost akin to flame burned in it; the  
one from the second chair was the color of crystal blue water and something  
swirled within it; and the one from the third chair was grass green and was  
iridescent.  
  
"It seems that the goddesses deem it fit to give you these gems," the woman  
said softly. "They each contain their own magic, which you must master  
quickly. The orange one is Din's fire; the blue one is Nayru's love; and  
the green one is Farore's wind. Each will aid you when the time comes.  
But first, you must learn how to use them."  
  
"But, why will I need these?" Zelda asked, taking the spheres in her hands.  
"Your friend is trapped by the witch, is he not? Then, you must go and  
rescue him before she realizes what magic he possesses again," the woman  
said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Zelda asked. "The Triforce of Wisdom dwells within you  
again. That is sufficient enough proof to assume that the Triforce of  
Courage has returned to your friend. Also, the Triforce of Power will have  
chosen a new bearer. If this has happened, then we must rescue your friend  
no matter what. Otherwise, Ganondorf's wish may very well come true," the  
woman said with amazing calm.  
  
"Then, how much time do you think we have?" Zelda asked quietly. "At most,  
not anymore than a day and a half," the woman replied. "Then, please show  
me how to use the magic!" Zelda said. The woman nodded and turned to  
leave. "We must hurry now. We have already wasted much time," she said,  
before she whisked back into the caves.  
  
Aria: Anybody got any ideas about what else I could call the former  
Princess Zelda? I can't think of anything.  
Din: You can't think of anything these days. That other story you've been  
blowing your time on stinks!  
Aria: *goes red in the face and glares daggers at Din*  
Farore: Everyone, head for the zapping shelter! She's gonna blow her  
stack!  
Nayru, Darunia, and Farore: *dive into shelter made of sandbags and pull on  
helmets*  
Aria: *looms over Din menacingly* Din, you are SO dead!  
Din: *gulps* Uh-oh.  
Aria: *zaps her and turns her into a sea star*  
Farore: *comes out of shelter and looks down at her transfigured sister*  
Why'd you turn her into a sea star?  
Aria: * blows smoke off right index finger* One of my reviewers suggested  
it.  
Farore: Oh.  
Aria: Oh, jeez! I forgot to tell them something. For those of you who  
disagreed with me using a certain someone's offspring as the evil person in  
the story: Natalia and her mother DID NOT live in the fortress. They  
disagreed with the others and left. Therefore, Natalia was able to breed  
her hatred in solitude.  
Nayru: *picks up Din and puts her in bucket of seawater* At least, she  
doesn't have any mouth to argue with this time.  
Aria: Uh, sure, Nayru. How'd you like this chapter? I'm posting chapter  
thirty too, so read that one too! See ya! 


	30. Chapter 30: Magic Practice

Aria: Here's chapter thirty, as promised.  
Farore: *stands over large fish tank with Din and a few clams in it* Din  
really likes the taste of those shellfish. I sure wouldn't, though.  
Nayru: That's because she's a sea star. They love the taste of mollusks.  
Aria: *sweat drops* Uh, okay. They're having a biology lesson. Alright.  
ARE THERE ANY FORMS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE OUT THERE?!  
Darunia: You needn't shout, Aria.  
Aria: Yes, I do! I'm stuck in a land filled with clouds and such and you  
all are crazy!  
Darunia: I say, that's not very nice.  
Aria: You'd know what I mean if you had to deal with all of you and were in  
my position. Do you even realize how annoying you all can be?  
Darunia: I do imagine that we are rather vexing at times, but I don't think  
we're crazy.  
Aria: GAH! *runs away VERY quickly*  
Darunia: *sweat drops* Um, she must be having another mental breakdown.  
I'll just do the disclaimers while we wait. Aria Zephyr, our vexed  
authoress of this story, does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their  
characters, you get the idea. However, she does own the story.  
Farore: She's not gonna be back for a while, is she?  
Nayru: Nope.  
Farore: *nods her head* That's what I thought.  
  
Chapter 30: Magic Practice  
  
Zelda followed her and soon they stood by the waterfall again. "This isn't  
a good place for you to learn how to use those spheres. Let's go back to  
the meadows to practice," the woman said, reading Zelda's questioning look.  
  
They went back to the meadows and the woman told Zelda to put down two of  
the three spheres. Zelda obeyed and put down the blue and green ones.  
"Now, I want you to concentrate on that sphere," the woman instructed.  
"But, how?" Zelda asked. "Just think about the sphere and imagine sending  
power into it," the woman said calmly.  
  
Zelda held the orange sphere in her hands and tried to do what the woman  
said. Suddenly, the sphere blazed and a small flame leapt from her palms.  
Zelda yelped in surprise and dropped the sphere. It fell to the ground and  
the fire went out.  
  
"Good, but you don't have to worry about the fire burning you. Din's fire  
can be used as an offensive method you can use to fight with. You just  
need to be carrying that sphere somehow and concentrate your magic into  
your hands and you can use Din's fire," the woman said.  
  
"Now, let's see how you deal with Nayru's love. Pick up the blue orb and  
I'll tell you how to use it," she said. Zelda picked up the blue sphere  
and looked at the woman. "It has almost the same principle as the first  
one except you have to concentrate your magic into the orb itself," the  
woman said.  
  
Zelda tried it and soon she was surrounded by a light blue shield. "Now,  
stop concentrating and the magic will stop," the woman said. Zelda relaxed  
and the shield went away. "I'm starting to get tired," Zelda said. "Don't  
worry; we only have one more left. You're feeling tired because you're not  
used to using your magic and the spheres use up some of it," the woman  
assured.  
  
"I should get the green one now, shouldn't I?" Zelda asked. The woman  
nodded and Zelda bent to pick up the green sphere. "Now, unlike the first  
two, you don't need to concentrate any magic into Farore's wind in order to  
activate it. Instead, I want you to spin around on your right heel twice,"  
the woman said.  
  
Zelda thought that this was rather odd, but she tried it anyway and she was  
soon at least twenty feet above ground. "That's what Farore's wind does.  
It transports you to higher elevations and areas. All you need to do in  
order to make sure you don't land in the wrong place is to think about  
where you want to land before you activate the magic," the woman explained.  
  
"Now, I want you to try and practice using each magic until you have the  
hang of it. That way, you'll have less of a risk of doing something wrong  
and endangering yourself," the woman said. "Alright, but can I stop if I  
feel I can't practice anymore?" Zelda asked. The woman nodded in reply.  
  
Zelda practiced aiming with Din's fire, using Nayru's love even when she  
was doing something else, and using Farore's wind to carry her places and  
making sure she landed where she wanted to be. Eventually, she became so  
tired that she was forced to stop. But, luckily, she had learned enough  
that she could use each of the spheres without, if any, mistakes.  
  
Darunia: We're STILL waiting for Aria to get back.  
Nayru: * looks at a clock* Three-two-one.  
Aria: AGH! *comes running into area again*  
Farore: Have a nice trip?  
Aria: *glares at her*  
Farore: You're mad, aren't you?  
Aria: *still glaring at her*  
Farore: I thought so.  
Nayru: Aria, weren't you going to say something to the readers?  
Aria: Oh, yeah, I was! Okay. The descriptions of how Farore's wind,  
Nayru's love, and Din's fire may not be accurate because I've never played  
LoZ: The Ocarina of Time before. If you can tell me otherwise, please send  
in how they are properly used and I'll correct the problems.  
Farore: Are you ever going to turn Din back to normal again? I thought you  
needed us for something else.  
Aria: Correction: I need Nayru for something else. I don't need Din's help  
at all.  
Farore: Oh. Okay.  
Aria: Whatever. How did everyone like this latest update? Hate it? Love  
it? Neither? I can tell without your input, so please read and review!  
Bye! 


	31. Chapter 31: The Mystery Becomes Clearer

Aria: After a little deliberation, I decided to stick with my description  
of how Zelda can use the goddess powers. She's not the Hero of Time, you  
know. She'd have to do things a little differently, don't you think?  
Nayru: She's only saying that because LoZ: The Wind Waker is the ONLY one  
of the series she's actually been able to beat.  
Aria: *blushes profusely* It was easier to work than the last one I tried  
was.  
Farore: *rolls eyes* Aria, when you tried to play Link's Awakening, you  
died the second you stepped on the beach! In the beginning, no less!  
Aria: *turns redder* Stop reminding me already. I know I sucked at that.  
That's not the point.  
Nayru: *takes a deck of cards and starts shuffling it* Didn't one of your  
reviewers suggest you get a new disclaimer person?  
Aria: Uh, yeah. They said I should use the owl thing from Ocarina of Time  
and Majora's Mask. I'm actually considering it.  
Darunia: What did I do? It's not like I seriously broke the rules or  
anything!  
Aria: It's not that!  
Nayru: She's having you and all the other sages appear in chapter thirty-  
three.  
Aria: Nayru! You weren't supposed to say that! Where's a mad, giant cucco  
when you need one?!  
Darunia: I'm going to be in the story and you didn't tell me?! Aria!  
Aria: Sorry! I didn't mean to! It just goes so well with the situation!  
Darunia: What situation?! Why don't you tell me these things?  
Aria: Oh, jeez! Darunia, if I told you WHAT situation, I'd spoil the  
story!  
Darunia: Oh. Sorry.  
Aria: Just do the disclaimers and I'll work out the kinks.  
Darunia: Yes, ma'am! Oh, great. Now I sound like those pirates. Anywho;  
Aria Zephyr, the authoress of this story, does not own the Legend of Zelda  
games and anything else in that manner. She does own the story, however.  
Aria: Because of criticisms, the former Princess Zelda will be called the  
princess or lady, and so forth. I just can't call her Zelda! Or the  
former Zelda! It would be too indecorous!  
Farore: Whazzat mean?  
Nayru: It means improper.  
Aria: Okay. Um, please enjoy chapter thirty-one. I have to go work things  
out in chapter thirty-three.  
  
Chapter 31: The Mystery Becomes Clearer  
  
Later, though the sun was still shining, the princess told Zelda to get  
some sleep, while she went to talk to someone. Zelda quickly agreed, as  
she was very tired, and lay down beneath a tree and was soon fast asleep.  
"She looks so much like Alana like that," the princess mused as she watched  
the girl sleep for a moment.  
  
"You have already admitted that you are her ancestor; why won't you tell  
her about his?" a quiet voice behind her asked. "You knew who he was  
already, didn't you, Father?" she said, turning to face an old man in royal  
attire. "I did when the Triforce of Courage accepted him so freely.  
Though, it was rather obvious. He had the shield, not to mention he looks  
exactly like the Hero of Time," the old man said.  
  
"So, why didn't you tell the boy?" the princess asked. "I still didn't  
have the proof. No spirit here will admit to whether the Hero of Time had  
a descendant or not and Nayru says that we will find out eventually and no  
more," the old man said grudgingly.  
  
"The only way we'd find out is if he was here, which he is not," the  
princess said. "This is why we need to send the girl to the witch's  
fortress as soon as possible! The witch has obvious connections to  
Ganondorf and if anyone could come up with a spell to hold a human spirit  
captive, it's him," the old man said. "But, what if she kills her? You  
know as well as I how dangerous the witch is! She could easily have  
destroyed the boy by now!" she said.  
  
"But, she wouldn't," the old man said. "What?" the princess asked in  
surprise. "The witch won't kill him until she has what she desires most:  
the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom. She still does not  
realize that the Triforce of Courage is right before her and that the  
Triforce of Wisdom is hidden in our world. You must guard the girl until  
she can rescue the Hero of Winds and break the witch's spell," the old man  
said.  
  
"And, how am I supposed to do that? My magic will not be as powerful in  
the living world, not to mention, how I am supposed to mask the girl's  
presence in the fortress?" the princess asked doubtfully. "You must  
accompany her. That way, the Triforce will not be felt by the witch and  
the girl will be invisible to her magic," the old man said. "But, Father,  
I don't understand!" she said. "You were a former Triforce bearer. If you  
are near it or its current bearer, you are able to mask its presence. That  
is why the witch is not able to realize that the Triforce of Courage is  
right under her nose," the old man said calmly.  
  
She was stunned for a moment. She eventually regained control of her voice  
and said, "Then, that would mean that he is in there, somewhere." The old  
man nodded and said, "It is the only way that the witch cannot feel the  
Triforce of Courage so close to her. Though, strangely enough, even I  
cannot feel any sort of living creature within the fortress, except the  
witch, the boy, and the witch's minions."  
  
"She may have killed him," the princess said. "Yes, but if she had, then  
why did he not come to this land? His deeds would surely guarantee a place  
for him here. I have asked the goddesses, but all they tell me is that he  
should be here and if he isn't, something is interfering," the old man  
wondered.  
  
"But, the goddesses themselves built the gateway and set their own magic to  
guide spirits here! How could anyone have enough strength to override  
that?" she cried. "Do not forget; the witch possesses greater power than  
before and when she ruined the Sacred Wood, she carried her father's  
essence within her. It is very likely that they may have cursed him for  
revenge," the old man warned.  
  
The princess sighed wearily. "I've waited so long for him to return. At  
least that would be a suitable excuse for why he never returned, but I  
still want to know why he vanished from Hyrule in the first place!" she  
said.  
  
"That we may discover in good time, but do not forget what stands against  
us all. The only hope we have is if the young princess and the Hero of  
Winds can somehow break the witch's spells and end her magic forever," the  
old man said. "But, Father," she began.  
  
Suddenly, she was cut off by an anguished cry from Zelda.  
  
Nayru: Finished yet?  
Aria: NO! Oh crap! How am I gonna have enough chapters now?! After this  
update, I'm only going to have one unfinished chapter! And, I still have  
to go over it! *covers face with hands*  
Farore: It's okay, Aria. No one's going to hate you because you haven't  
been able to write much in a while.  
Aria: A while, nothing! I've only written two chapters' worth in four  
days! I used to be able to write at most four chapters a day in my  
stories! This is terrible!  
Nayru: Poor thing. She's having another breakdown.  
Darunia: Should I stop complaining about being in the story then?  
Farore and Nayru: *exchange glances* YES! VERY MUCH SO, YES!  
Darunia: Loud goddesses. Very scary.  
Aria: I NEED SOME SORT OF MUSE OR INSPIRATION!  
Farore: Can anybody come up with some sort of cute and adorable character  
from the Zelda games that could cheer her up? We're desperate here!  
Darunia: She's a lot easier to deal with when she's happy. And she's not  
happy.  
Nayru: HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	32. Chapter 32: A Reached Understanding

Farore: We still have a crisis here! Aria still needs some sort of  
inspiration!  
Aria: *huddled on cloud, hugging knees to chest*  
Nayru: We've already tried to calm her down, but she went up on that cloud  
and has a shield around it that we can't penetrate!  
Darunia: Any other ideas left?  
Nayru: No. Sorry.  
Farore: Because Aria doesn't seem up to it, should we introduce the chapter  
without her?  
Nayru: We might as well. Even though she'll be offended that we did her  
job for her, she'd be even angrier if the chapter wasn't posted. Not after  
she worked on it so hard.  
Darunia: Might as well do my job. Our much traumatized authoress, Aria  
Zephyr, does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, etc. She  
does own this story.  
Nayru: For those of you who were wondering what might be happening to Link  
after he was kidnapped, this chapter tells you what the poor thing is going  
through at the mercy of that wicked witch.  
Farore: I wish there was some way we could make her behave! I've already  
read the chapter and I nearly started crying! Poor Link!  
  
Chapter 32: A Reached Understanding  
  
The princess glanced anxiously at her father and rushed to the girl's side.  
She was breathing heavily and a look of terror shone in her blue eyes.  
What concerned her most was that Zelda was clutching a hand over where her  
heart was.  
  
"What's the matter, young one?" the princess asked, trying to sound gentle  
despite her concern. "I-I had a dream," Zelda said in faltering tones, "I  
saw a huge fortress half buried beneath the ground. It was swarming with  
monsters of all kinds." She paused for a moment and the princess sat down  
next to her, gently stroking her hair as a mother would. Zelda continued  
recounting what she had seen in her dream.  
  
"There was a long, dusty corridor that led to a musty dungeon. A woman  
with very dark skin and fire-colored hair was walking along it. She had an  
oddly bright mirror in her hands and she was muttering something to  
herself. She walked straight into the dungeon and faced on of the few  
cells. She had an almost savage look on her face as she talked to whoever  
was inside it. She stopped for a moment to glare at a bottle that was  
glowing slightly and was sitting on a shelf near her head."  
  
"She turned back to the cell and waved her hand towards her. Link stumbled  
face-forward into the front of the cell and looked at the witch defiantly.  
She sneered at him and grabbed the front of his tunic through the cell  
bars. She held a blackened dagger to his throat and demanded something.  
Link only glared at her more and said something to her. Her eyes flashed  
and she threw him backwards in the cell."  
  
"Then, she turned away and said something. She looked back at the cell and  
her eyes were almost sparkling with maniacal delight. She pointed a finger  
at Link and something sparked from it. Then, suddenly, Link collapsed to  
the floor of the cell, screaming with pain. The witch only smiled and  
pointed at him with her other hand too. Link was doubled up with pain and  
obviously trying to not scream."  
  
"Then, I started to feel it too. It felt like someone had switched my  
blood with molten lead and it was rushing along all of my body. I fell to  
the floor like Link did as the pain raced to my heart and it felt like  
someone was trying to rip it from my body. Just as the woman renewed her  
attack on Link, I woke up," Zelda said, turning her fear-filled eyes to her  
ancestor.  
  
"Do you think that it's true? Is someone really torturing Link?" she asked  
desperately. "I'm afraid that from what we know about the witch, it is  
very likely that she is torturing him and enjoying it," the old man said,  
coming to where the two females were.  
  
Zelda stared at him in astonishment when she saw him. "King of Hyrule?  
You're here?" she asked softly. He nodded and said, "I am, but that is not  
our main concern now. Zelda, tell me, have you had any other dreams or  
seen anything that didn't seem right before?" Zelda bit her lip and said,  
"I have. Twice before now."  
  
The former King of Hyrule looked startled, but he asked, "What were they  
about?" Zelda patiently explained the vision she had seen in the  
pictograph of Link's family and the dream she'd had before Link was  
kidnapped. When she finished, he was pacing in an anxious manner.  
  
"This isn't at all good," he said finally. "If the last dream came true to  
the letter, the dream you just experienced may have been a vision of what  
danger Link is in. And, if that first vision comes true." He shook his  
head, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on him.  
  
"But, what else can we do? You certainly can't leave this world and I can  
only remain outside it for an hour at most! We'll just have to find a way  
inside the fortress without her being seen," the princess said. "That's  
the problem! Zelda, how many monsters did you see around that fortress?"  
the King asked.  
  
Zelda hesitated for a moment before answering, "I saw fifty, at least."  
"There's no way she'd be able to sneak around that many monsters without  
being caught! I know that those kinds of monsters aren't very bright, but  
most of them have excellent smell or hearing. What will we do now?" the  
King moaned.  
  
"She does have Nayru's love. Perhaps, we could use it for a base spell  
that would hide her from detection," the princess suggested. "Perhaps, but  
do we still have that much magic here? We might need a little help," the  
King said. The princess wrinkled her nose in exasperation and said, "And,  
whom did you have in mind?" "Just the former sages. They'd have enough  
magic to help and I'm sure they'd want to help someone get back at that  
witch," the King replied. "Hey! Who says I can't help with the spell?!  
I'm not an invalid, you know!" Zelda interrupted.  
  
The arguing adults turned to look at her, both wearing a look of surprise.  
The lady got over her surprise first and said, "We never said you were an  
invalid, child. It's just that you should save as much of your magic for  
when you may need it in the witch's fortress." Zelda pouted, but she  
didn't argue.  
  
"Where are the former sages, anyway?" the princess asked. "They're  
probably chatting near the pool at the end of the stream. When they find  
out about what's going on, they'll probably worry themselves into a fit,"  
the King said, sighing. "Well, whether they worry themselves into a fit or  
not, we should get their assistance in this. Let's go find them," the  
princess said, standing up.  
  
"Should I come too?" Zelda asked. The lady nodded and said, "They will  
want to meet you and since the spell will be used for you, you really  
should come." Zelda got to her feet and brushed bits of grass and twigs  
from her clothes. "I'll come with you two. I know where else they might  
be if they're not at the pool," the King said. "Alright, Father, but  
remember that time is of the essence now," the princess said.  
  
Nayru: Oops! We forgot to tell you that in this story, the King of Hyrule  
drowned when Hyrule was flooded after the battle with Ganondorf. Sorry!  
Farore: *floats next to cloud that Aria is on* She still won't talk to me.  
She's really cracked this time.  
Nayru: And I thought it was bad after she found out that we have no lives  
outside this story.  
Darunia: We don't? Boy, that's sad.  
Nayru: No, really.  
Farore: Do you think candy might work on her? It did the last time.  
Nayru: No, we already tried that. Remember? We'd have to do something  
drastic or come up with something ourselves.  
Darunia: I favor coming up with something ourselves. The only thing that  
could snap her out of this is if we pulled Tingle in here and you know  
that, afterwards, she'd skin us alive.  
Farore: I've got an idea! Let's get her a sweet little fairy of her own!  
Nayru: That might work, but what would we name it?  
Farore: I dunno. You're the goddess of wisdom.  
Nayru: Oh crap. If anyone has any ideas, help! 


	33. Chapter 33: The Sages

Farore: HEY EVERYONE! ARIA IS FINALLY BACK AND HER WRITER'S BLOCK IS GONE!  
Aria: *sweat drops* Thank you, Farore. I'm sure that everyone in the  
universe heard that.  
Farore: You're welcome.  
Aria: Well, as Farore already yelled, I'm back! And, the reason why I  
haven't been updating is very frustrating. My browser just wouldn't get  
the site up without screwing up! I'm so sorry for keeping you all waiting,  
but thanks to some help from our new friends, I've come up with around  
eight new chapters. I just need to work on them a little.  
Anri: Miss, if I may, I think that they are excellent.  
Aria: Thank you. Oh, for those of you who are wondering, this is Anri, a  
fairy who's been helping me.  
Anri: I shouldn't take all the credit; my master asked me to help you.  
Tiana: What about me?! I've been helping too, you know!  
Aria: Sorry, Tiana; I was getting to that. Tiana is also a fairy who's  
been helping me. Anri is a red fairy and Tiana is blue green.  
Twister: Aria! Me too!  
Aria: Here is the last intro. This is my muse, a winged, grey and white  
cat named Twisted Whiskers, or Twister for short.  
Farore: He's so CUTE! I love the way his white wings feel! They're so  
soft. *pets Twister*  
Twister: *purrs* I love being petted.  
Aria: And, as you can tell, these three are a big hit. Especially,  
Twister; he won over all the goddesses without a hitch. And, because I  
felt sorry for her, I changed Din back again.  
Anri: Tiana and I had to persuade her, a little first. Din isn't so bad  
once you've discovered her weaknesses.  
Din: I don't know how they figured out I like oranges.  
Tiana: *crosses fingers behind back* Oh, lucky guess.  
Darunia: Aria, um, shouldn't I be getting to where I supposed to be now?  
Aria: Ack! I forgot! Gimme a sec! *snaps fingers and he vanishes* Phew!  
Nayru: But, who will do the disclaimers now?  
Aria: I figured that one out too. Hey, Kaepora Gaebora! You're up!  
Kaepora: Hooo. What a lovely place.  
Aria: He's the owl from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. His name is  
what one of the reviewers said it is, so I'm just going with the flow.  
Kaepora: What was it that I was supposed to say?  
Tiana: *whispers to him*  
Kaepora: Oh! Thanks! Aria Zephyr, our esteemed authoress, does not own  
the Legend of Zelda games and so forth. Hooowever, she does own the story.  
Aria: Thanks. I think you all will like this chapter. It's more light-  
hearted than the more recent chapters. I've described the sages as best I  
can; it's not easy getting a description out of a guide that has hardly any  
pictures.  
Twister: Aria, I haven't read the story yet. Can you please hurry?  
Aria: Sure, Twister. Here is chapter thirty-three!  
  
Chapter 33: The Sages  
  
The trio walked along the edge of the stream, following it to its end,  
where a large pool of tranquil water lay. There were about seven figures  
sitting on seven boulders around the pool. They were all talking to each  
other and two of them were playing instruments.  
  
A woman with graying hair, wearing a strange armor, turned and saw them  
first. She smiled and said to the others, "The Princess and the King are  
here!" "Hello, Impa. It's nice to see you too," the woman said wryly. A  
boy with bright yellow hair, wearing clothes with forest colors, stopped  
playing his violin and looked up to see them. He jumped off his boulder  
and bowed to them.  
  
"It's been a long time since we've seen you, your Highnesses," he said.  
"It has, Fado, but I think that your friends would like you to continue  
playing," the King said, nodding in the direction of a girl with bright  
green hair whose face had fallen slightly when the music had stopped.  
  
She blushed and said, "The song Fado was playing reminded me of the Kokiri  
Forest and I miss it. That's all" "You shouldn't have to apologize,  
Saria. We all miss our homes," a woman, with blue skin and something  
rather like a fin coming from the back of her head, wearing a golden  
headdress and an attendant's attire, said. She was holding a beautifully  
decorated golden harp that she was delicately playing.  
"I miss the reflection of the moon when it shone on the surface of Lake  
Hylia," another similar woman said. "As crazy as it may sound, I even miss  
the sound of the lonesome wind as it blew across the desert," a woman with  
very dark skin said. "I don't find that at all insane," a large, muscular  
figure said, walking up behind them all. "You all still think that I'm a  
little strange for missing the lava of an active volcano," he said,  
grinning.  
"That's all very well and nice, but we didn't just come here for a visit,"  
the woman said, interrupting the sages' reminiscences. "What did you come  
here for, then?" Fado asked. "We were hoping you could help us with a  
dilemma we have," the King said. "Hmmm. It depends on what kind of  
dilemma it is," the blue-skinned woman said. "We just need you to help us  
set up a spell that my descendant can use to hide from the witch of the  
Sacred Wood," the woman said.  
  
The entire group went silent and all eight of them went into a small  
huddle. They talked in soft whispers, with one occasionally glancing up.  
Finally, they broke the huddle and sat back down on the boulders.  
"Well, we can help you with that, but may I ask what the girl will be doing  
once she enters the fortress?" the dark skinned woman asked. "I'm going to  
rescue my friend, Link, who happens to be the Hero of Winds," Zelda said.  
"Hold on! That can't be! That was the name of the Hero of Time!" Saria  
said. "She is right, you know. We all met him once," Fado said, nodding.  
"Yes, well; that's not the point. The point is that the witch has him  
prisoner and he must be taken away from that place before she realizes that  
he has the Triforce of Courage!" the woman said forcefully.  
"Would he happen to be the same boy who awakened the new sages of the Wind  
and Earth Temples? If he is, I'd be very willing to help," the blue  
skinned woman with the harp said. "I would too! He helped both Laruto and  
I when he awoke our descendants," Fado said. "I want to help too! That  
girl in the fortress gave a bad name to my people when she started  
threatening Hyrule! I want to show that not all Gerudo are evil at heart!"  
the dark skinned woman said, springing to her feet. "You can count on my  
help. I have always aided the royal family in their need," Impa said. "I'd  
like to help as well. After all, I was the sage of the Forest Temple,"  
Saria said. "I doubt that I should be very useful, but I will help in any  
way I can," the large man said. "I suppose I should help, shouldn't I? You  
can count me in," a wise-looking man said.  
  
The other seven turned to look at the last sage, who hadn't said a single  
word. "Well? Ruto, aren't you going to help?" Laruto asked. Ruto scowled  
at her and said, "It's not like I have any other choice, do I? If I  
refused, you and the rest would annoy me to no end." "Do you really have  
to be so stubborn?" the large man said. "Yes, Darunia; I do have to be  
stubborn," Ruto replied. "Ruto's disposition aside; you have our full  
cooperation, your Highness," the wise-looking man said. "Thank you, Rauru.  
It's much appreciated, I assure you," the woman said. "So, how can we  
help? Do we just need to contribute magic?" Darunia asked.  
The woman nodded and said, "We'll need you to concentrate the magic into  
the shielding spell that she already has. Child, please show them the blue  
sphere." Zelda pulled the orb out of her pocket and handed it to the  
woman. She held out so that all the sages could see it properly.  
"Hm. We could pull off an invisibility spell with that thing. Does that  
meet your purposes?" Impa said after gazing at it. "That would be lovely,  
thank you. We just need something to hide her from the guards," the woman  
said. "But, what about the witch? Won't she sense the girl?" the dark  
skinned woman said. "No, she won't, Nabooru. The girl has the Triforce of  
Wisdom," the woman said with obvious discomfort.  
  
Excited murmurs passed through the small group. "You figured out the  
little trick that thing has?" Impa asked. "I didn't; Father did," the  
woman replied. "How did you come up with that?" Impa asked him. "The  
witch hasn't been able to realize that the boy has the Triforce of Courage,  
remember?" the King said. Saria gasped and the others' eyes widened as  
they realized what had taken place.  
"So, then, that means that. . ." Saria said haltingly. "This is obviously  
a  
more serious situation than we originally thought. I assume that the witch  
is the most likely suspect for having the Triforce of Power?" Impa said.  
The King nodded and Impa shook her head.  
"If I may say something?" Nabooru asked. "When the witch first came out of  
the shadows, my people sent spies to learn more about her. One thing they  
found out is that the witch possesses a magic mirror through which she can  
see anything she wishes. Even if she cannot sense the girl, it would be  
best if we could make the spell last as long as possible without draining  
all of her energy," she said.  
"That is a wise suggestion, Nabooru. We should try to find a way to do  
so," Impa said. "But, can I ask how the spell is going to work?" Zelda  
said. All eyes turned to her and she turned red from embarrassment. "It  
was just a question," she said.  
  
However, Impa smiled and said, "You needn't apologize. You've just been so  
quiet throughout the entire discussion. But, you should know how the spell  
works, seeing as how you're the one who's going to use it. We're going to  
adapt it to your orb so that when you use it as you normally would, it will  
cast a shield of invisibility around you and use our magic, or what remains  
of it, until we run low. Then, I'm afraid you'll be on your own."  
"I understand," Zelda said, nodding. "But, what would be the best time to  
activate the spell?" Darunia asked. "I'd say, as soon as she leaves this  
place. The witch will obviously be looking for her and we can't tell if  
she's placed her monsters in the forest to look for her," Nabooru said.  
"What about around the fortress?" Rauru asked. "She'll need the spell  
there too. The place is swarming with the beasts," the princess said. "How  
do you know that?" Fado asked curiously.  
  
The princess, Zelda, and the King all glanced at each other with  
uncomfortable looks. "What is it?" Impa asked. "I've sort of been having  
these visions lately and I saw the fortress in one of them," Zelda said.  
"Visions? How many and what about?" Impa asked, though she was as startled  
as the others. The princess and the King both told her what Zelda had seen  
and when they were finished, Impa looked uncommonly nervous.  
"All of these were about her friend, Link, you say?" she asked. The  
princess nodded and glanced at Zelda. "May I ask you something? I'm afraid  
it may be rather embarrassing, but it may help us understand the nature of  
your visions," Impa asked Zelda. "Um, I guess," Zelda said. She really  
didn't like this many people talking mostly about her, especially since she  
had a feeling she knew what Impa would ask about.  
"Do you have strong feelings for this boy?" Impa asked. Zelda immediately  
turned scarlet and mumbled, "Well. . . yes." "Ah. That explains it," Impa  
said cryptically. "Explains what?" Zelda asked, still very red.  
"Because of your feelings for him, your magic has become uniquely attuned  
to when he will be in danger and is trying to warn you ahead of time. Be  
it as it may, because the first two were visions of the future, the third  
is most likely a vision of the present. But, the first one you saw, it  
obviously hasn't come true?" Impa inquired.  
"No," Zelda replied, "Why?" "Well, that is the one that you should dread  
the most. Judging by the circumstances, it is a warning of what may be the  
worst outcome," Impa said. "You mean, that if something isn't done, that  
could come true?" Zelda asked, terrified.  
"But, I thought that the witch can't do that!" she said, unable to say what  
she really meant. "Maybe, but if you aren't careful, she may just get what  
she wants: all of the Triforce. And, if she had that, I'm afraid she  
wouldn't mind getting rid of the both of you. Harsh, but it's the truth,"  
Impa said apologetically.  
"I don't want that to happen! I never want that to happen!" Zelda blurted  
out. "Good! I didn't think you would in the first place, but good. That  
shows that you'll have a purpose other than merely rescuing your friend  
from danger in this. You'll want to keep that from happening," Rauru said  
sagely.  
  
Zelda stared at him blankly until the princess spoke up. "Now that we have  
your support and we've affirmed what lies against us, can we please just  
cast the spell already?" she said. Everyone stopped doing what they had  
been doing to look at her and all of the sages, along with the King, came  
over to her spot.  
  
Zelda could feel something growing around them and whatever it was, was  
focusing itself on the blue orb that the princess held in her palms.  
Finally, the thing vanished into the orb itself and everyone who had been  
casting the spell sighed in relief.  
"There you go!" the princess said, handing the orb back to Zelda.  
"Shouldn't she test it first, just to make sure we got the spell right?"  
Saria asked. The King nodded and said, "She is right. If we got the spell  
wrong, we could correct it before any more time was wasted."  
  
Everyone looked at Zelda, who sighed and concentrated her magic on the orb.  
She instantly vanished. The sages cheered and the princess said, "That's  
enough, child. I think you've proven it works now." "Alright," Zelda said,  
reappearing.  
"Now that we've done what we came to do, we must take our leave," the King  
said, formally bowing to the sages in departure. The princess curtsied and  
Zelda managed a nervous wave and smile. The sages all gave their good-byes  
and wished Zelda good luck as the three began their walk back along the  
stream bed.  
  
Aria: If I goofed up on the descriptions of any sages, I apologize right  
now. I suppose that Rauru would look wise, don't you, Anri?  
Anri: Well, he was a Hylian and that hardly decent picture you found did  
make him look like he'd be rather wise.  
Aria: That's what I thought.  
Twister: What happens next?  
Aria: Didn't I already tell you that I'm not allowed to say?  
Twister: *rolls over on back, giving her soulful eyes* Aw, but I wanna  
know! This is so exciting!  
Aria: Oh, come on, Twist! You know I can't resist the soulful eyes routine!  
Farore: *scratches Twister's tummy* Anyway, Twister, you don't want Aria to  
get yelled at, do you?  
Twister: *purrs involuntarily and rolls over* Alright. I'll just read over  
Aria's shoulder. I can do that. *flaps wings slightly*  
Din: Does anyone know what happened to the chocolate covered cherries I  
had?  
Aria: Oh, sorry, Din. I should've told you; Tiana has a weakness for  
chocolate covered cherries.  
Tiana: Sorry.  
Din: *shrugs* I was going to get rid of them anyway. I'm allergic to  
cherries.  
Aria: I didn't know that goddesses had allergies. Hm. You learn something  
new everyday.  
Anri: Lady Aria, I think we've chattered long enough. You really should  
end now.  
Aria: Thanks, Anri. Okay, how did everyone like this chapter? I'd  
absolutely love to add more chapters, but the next one has a cliffhanger  
and you'd all hate me.  
Tiana: Maybe, they wouldn't, mistress. You've done it before.  
Aria: I don't know.  
Kaepora: Can you keep it down? It's daytime and owls like to get their  
sleep now.  
Everyone: Sorry!  
Kaepora: Hoooo. *goes back to sleep*  
Aria: *whispers* Okay, I've decided to post chapter thirty-four too. See  
ya! 


	34. Chapter 34: Back to the Forgotten Forest

Aria: Oh! I forgot to mention something last time! I mentioned that the  
King of Hyrule is in the Land Beyond place. But, the King of Red Lions is  
still in the living world. Here's how it is: The King of Hyrule drowned  
with Hyrule; however, he was the one making the King of Red Lions, the  
boat, talk. Here's what's happening: The boat cannot talk anymore because  
the person who had the magic on it died, but the boat itself is still  
there. Any questions?  
Anri: I think that that is sufficient enough.  
Aria: Good, because I am out of breath.  
Tiana: But, you didn't say why the King of Hyrule is in the other place!  
Aria: Oh, thanks! He is dead, remember? That is his spirit, just like all  
the other people, okay? Tiana, Anri, you can wake Kaepora up now.  
Tiana and Anri: Yes, ma'am! *fly off to Kaepora's tree (Aria: I made it  
just for him)*  
Kaepora: Whoooo . . . Where is the fire?  
Tiana: There is no fire, silly! You have to do the disclaimers now!  
Kaepora: But, it's still daytime.  
Aria: I can fix that! *snaps fingers and it turns to night* Happy now?  
Kaepora: Aria Zephyr, the authoress of this story, does not own the Legend  
of Zelda games, the characters, etc. She does own the witch, Natalia, the  
Temple flower seeds, the Sacred Wood (A.K.A. the Forgotten Forest), the  
Land Beyond the Physical Land, and the story. Now leave me alone; I'm  
tired.  
Aria: Thank you, Kaepora. That was. . . informative.  
  
Chapter 34: Back to the Forgotten Forest  
  
"Um," Zelda mumbled, staring uneasily at the gateway through which she had  
entered. "What's the matter? You're not afraid, are you?" the princess  
asked, coming up beside her. "No, I'm not!" Zelda said, "I'm just not sure  
how that gateway is going to affect me this time. Last time, it knocked me  
out for a little while."  
  
"It won't harm you, believe me. I'm going with you anyways," the princess  
said. "But, if you're a spirit, how am I supposed to know where you are?"  
Zelda asked. "When I'm here, I'm only insubstantial. If I leave here, as  
I am about to do, I'll look like a ghost. Understand?" the princess asked.  
"Yes," Zelda said, looking at the gateway again.  
  
"I guess there's no turning back now. Here goes nothing!" Zelda said. And,  
with that, both she and the princess vanished through the gateway.  
Zelda felt as if she was floating on nothing but clouds until she landed  
face-first on the grass of the Forgotten Forest.  
  
"You were right; this place is a total mess," the princess said, her voice  
sounding as if she was very far away. Zelda glanced at herself and sighed  
when she saw that she was still a princess. She looked in the princess'  
direction and was barely able to see her in the dim forest. The princess  
did look like a ghost, very pale and see-through  
  
"Now, we just need to pinpoint in which direction the fortress is," the  
princess said, jolting Zelda out of her thoughts. "Uh, what about the  
gateway? Should we really leave it open like this?" Zelda asked, waving a  
hand to the glowing archway. The princess shook her head and said, "It  
would take a great deal of magic to remove one of the keys. Believe me, I  
know. I took one of them out once and that is the one you replaced."  
  
"Though, it is very strange. I gave that key to someone I knew would be  
able to hide it. Can you tell me how you came across that medallion?" the  
princess asked. "Over there, in the trees. It was near where my friend was  
captured," Zelda said. "Another reason to believe," the princess whispered  
almost inaudibly to herself. "What was that?" Zelda asked. "Oh, nothing,"  
the princess said.  
  
"Let's hurry, shall we?" she said. "Let me use the invisibility spell  
first; we have no idea what may be out there," Zelda said, fishing through  
her pockets to find the orb. When she finally pulled it out, she activated  
the spell and vanished.  
  
"It's a good thing I can still see you, but it's a better thing that others  
cannot," the princess remarked. "Do you have any idea where the witch's  
fortress lies?" Zelda asked, changing the topic. "No, I haven't looked,"  
the princess said.  
  
She looked around the forest and rolled her eyes. "I'll have to go above  
the trees to see anything; stay here," she said, before she zoomed up above  
the tree cover. She came back down very quickly and said, "It lies  
directly to the east. The sun is still setting and we can use its rays as  
a guide, but I don't think either of us wishes to be out here when night  
falls." "Then, let's get going," Zelda said, picking up her skirts to move  
more quickly.  
  
Eventually, they came to the rock wall. "Drat and double drat! Is the  
fortress on the other side of this? Because, if it is, there's no way even  
Farore's wind can get me that high!" Zelda said, annoyed at the problem.  
"I'm afraid you're right. This wall surrounds the entire fortress and it is  
cutting off our way there. How will we get over it if we can't climb it?"  
the princess said.  
  
"While we're coming up with ideas, I'm going to sit down if you don't  
mind," Zelda said, and she promptly did so. However, something in her  
pocket poked her in the side and she quickly stood up again. "What's the  
matter?" the princess asked. "Something poked me. Now what is it?" Zelda  
said, taking various small things out of her pockets.  
  
"Ow! I think I found it," she said finally, pulling a tiny sack out. "What  
is that?" the princess asked. "Um, what was in this thing again?" Zelda  
wondered, "Oh, yeah! The flower seeds that Medli gave us!" "Seeds?" the  
princess said, raising an eyebrow. "Valoo said we might need them. What  
kind of flower were they? Temple flower seeds?" Zelda said.  
  
The princess immediately reacted and said, "Are you serious? I thought  
that those things were extinct! Those seeds can grow the quickest growing  
and tallest climbing vines ever! How did a dragon get such a precious  
thing?" "Do you think we can use them to make a sort of ladder up the  
wall?" Zelda asked hopefully. "We'd have to plant them first, but yes!"  
the princess said excitedly.  
  
And so, they found a patch of soft dirt near the wall and dug a small hole  
in it. They weren't sure how many seeds would be needed to grow a strong  
enough vine to support Zelda's weight, so they just planted the whole sack.  
  
"Now that we've done that, we need some water to make it grow," Zelda said,  
patting the dirt down over the seeds. "That I think I can help with," the  
princess said. "There's a plant over by one of the trees that looks like a  
giant flower. There's some rainwater in there we could use," she said,  
pointing.  
  
Zelda walked over to where it was and because she had nothing to carry the  
water in and the flower was so small, Zelda cut the roots of the flower and  
carried it over to the seed patch. She had a little trouble getting the  
water to pour out, but it eventually drenched the patch of dirt.  
  
Zelda sat the flower down on the ground and it immediately took root again.  
"Quick grower," Zelda remarked, staring at it. "Never mind that! Look!"  
the princess said, pulling Zelda's attention to the quickly growing vines  
that were sprouting out of the earth.  
  
"Quick! Grab one of the leaves and hold on tight!" the princess said.  
Zelda watched the vines as they practically shot up out of the earth and  
grabbed one of the leaves as it came with the vines. The vines kept  
growing and growing and growing until Zelda felt a puff of air touch her  
cheek and a wonderful scent reached her nose.  
  
She had been keeping her eyes closed ever since her feet had left the  
ground and now she finally opened them. The vines had grown to the top of  
the rock wall and some were trailing across the plateau. Beautiful, creamy  
pink flowers had blossomed from the vines and it was from them that the  
scent came.  
  
Across the short plateau of the rock wall, a massive, yet half buried,  
fortress rose from the ground. It seemed to be built out of stone logs.  
There were dozens after dozens of small shapes all running around the  
outside of the fortress like tiny black ants.  
  
"The witch's fortress," Zelda breathed in amazement, "Link's somewhere in  
there." "And, so is the witch and the long lost Hero of Time," the  
princess said. "What?" Zelda asked in surprise.  
  
"Isn't it obvious? When I'm near you, the witch can't feel you nearby  
because I used to be a bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom and that gives me  
the ability to mask its magic. The witch doesn't know that your friend has  
the Triforce of Courage because the former bearer of the Triforce of  
Courage is somewhere in there. The Hero of Time or at least his spirit is  
in there, somewhere," the princess said.  
  
"I bet that if his spirit is there, the witch tortured him before he died,"  
Zelda said venomously. "I imagine she probably did, but she will get what  
she deserves when the time comes," the princess said. "What we must worry  
about now is getting into that fortress undetected," she said, pointing  
towards the structure ahead. "But, how do I get down?!" Zelda yelped.  
  
The princess laughed softly and said, "Why didn't you ask that in the first  
place? Before you hit the ground, use Farore's wind and it will take you  
to a height where you won't be harmed by the landing."  
  
Zelda crawled across the plateau of the rock wall and peered over the edge.  
It was a very, very, very, long way down. 'I hope I don't get hurt over  
this,' she thought, swinging one leg over the edge and then the other,  
holding the top with her hands. 'I'm glad I already took my gloves off  
when I was digging that hole; this rock would tear them to pieces!' she  
imagined.  
  
"You'd better let go before you get cold feet over this," the princess  
cautioned. "I'm going, I'm going," Zelda muttered. 'Oh, please don't let  
me goof this up!' she thought. And, with that, she let go of the wall.  
  
Aria: Anyway, just tell me how you liked the chapters. Bye! 


	35. Chapter 35: Penetrating the Defenses of ...

Aria: Anri! Why didn't you tell me you had a little brother? If I had  
known, I wouldn't be keeping you here so long!  
Anri: It's alright, Lady Aria. I'm sure he'll be okay until I see him  
again.  
Aria: Well . . .if you say so. But, you have my full permission to visit  
him whenever you like! Consider it my reward for being such a big help!  
Tiana: Ooh! You're so lucky, Anri!  
Twister: What's a little brother? *tilts head*  
Aria: Twister is . . .a little naïve.  
Farore: I'll bet that Anri's brother isn't anything like your brothers,  
Aria.  
Aria: *moans* Farore! Do you HAVE to remind me of how annoying they are?  
Do you guys realize I can't even log on to fanfiction.net without one of  
them asking, "Can I see?"? Be very glad you don't have to deal with that!  
Farore: Sorry.  
Aria: It's okay. Moving on, I am so thrilled about the fact that I now  
have eighty-nine reviews for my story! Yay! I'm so glad all of you like  
it so much!  
Nayru: She's especially happy because she's been working on it for hours  
today.  
Tiana: *giggles* I like chapter forty-four. Zelda embarrasses Link and he  
embarrasses her, but in a good way; if you know what I mean. *winks*  
Aria: Don't give THAT away! It's so sweet!  
Tiana: *giggles* Sorry.  
Twister: Aria! Can I wake Kaepora up now?  
Aria: Yes, Twister, you can.  
Twister: Whee! I can practice my flying some more! *hovers off the ground  
and starts flying to Kaepora's tree* HEY! KAEPORA! WAKE UP!  
Kaepora: *wakes up with a jolt and falls out of the tree*  
Aria, Tiana, and Farore: That had to hurt.  
Twister: It's time for the story to start, sleepy-head! You gotta do the  
disclaimers!  
Kaepora: Somebody get this mad, winged feline away from me!  
Farore: I'll do it! *goes over and scoops Twister into her arms*  
Kaepora: *ruffles his feathers* The Way the Winds of Time Blow is written  
and owned by Aria Zephyr. However, Miss Zephyr does not own the Legend of  
Zelda games, their characters, and such related to them.  
Aria: This one's kinda short, so the next chapter's going with it. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 35: Penetrating the Defenses of the Fortress  
  
The wind rushed past Zelda's ears with a soft whisper. She hadn't wanted  
to look at the ground as she fell, but, heeding the princess' suggestion,  
Zelda looked at the ground and planned when to use Farore's wind. About  
one foot before she would have broken many bones from the fall, Zelda used  
Farore's wind and it pulled her high up again. The wind set her down on  
the ground without harm and she surveyed the land around her.  
  
The ground was barren, without any vegetation, and it had many cracks.  
Beyond the fortress, smoke trickled out of a mountain. There were many  
monsters running around the barren plain, none of them noticing the  
intruder. The fortress still rose as menacingly as ever, straight ahead.  
  
"Now, we must cease all verbal communication. We cannot risk one of those  
monsters hearing us," the princess whispered. "But, how will I be able to  
ask you things when I don't know what to do?" Zelda hissed. "Hopefully,  
you won't. But, I want you to stay right here for now. I'm going to  
search for a less conspicuous entrance into the fortress. Don't let that  
shield down for even a second and don't make any sounds. I'll be back as  
soon as possible," the princess said. With that, she whipped away, unseen,  
far above the unsuspecting heads of the many Moblins, Stalfoses, Darknuts,  
and Bokoblins.  
  
Zelda backed up against the rock wall and waited for her to return.  
Something started to weigh down in her hair and when she touched it, it was  
the trailing ends of the vines. 'I guess they're still growing,' Zelda  
thought with an amused smile. Though it may only have been twenty or  
thirty minutes, when the princess finally returned, Zelda felt as if it had  
been many hours.  
  
"I found a window into one of the corridors with its bars rusted away.  
I'll show you where it is and you can use Farore's wind to reach it," she  
said, just as softly as before. "But, you must remember to not . . ." she  
began. "I know, I know; I can't make any noise. You told me already.  
Let's go," Zelda said. The princess nodded and turned to lead her to the  
fortress.  
  
Though it may sound easy enough, but avoiding at least three dozen of each  
type of monster isn't as easy as it seems. Especially, when the dark  
circles of the Floor Masters were lurking around every corner. Zelda  
nearly gave herself away when a Moblin nearly walked into her and she  
tripped over a Floor Master's hand trying to avoid it. The Moblin looked  
in the direction of the dust she'd unsettled, but, not being able to see  
her, it walked right on by. The Floor Master wasn't so uncaring and if  
Zelda hadn't moved quickly away, it would have caught her in its fist.  
  
When she and the princess finally reached the fortress, Zelda stopped to  
take a breath. "That was too close," she panted, resting a hand on the  
cold exterior of the fortress. "It's a good thing they can't see you, or  
they would have caught you," the princess said.  
  
"Are you very sure that you're all right?" she asked. "I'm okay. Now,  
where's that window you were talking about?" Zelda asked, taking a deep  
breath. "It's this way. Follow me," the princess said, indicating the  
direction she meant. Zelda followed her to one of the side walls and when  
she looked up, a small rectangle was cut in the wall.  
  
"That's not much of a window," Zelda said, staring at it. "It's the only  
unguarded way into the fortress. All the doors are sealed by magic and the  
windows all have bars. Except this one of course," the princess said. "I  
don't know. This seems a little too easy, don't you think?" Zelda asked.  
"Even so, this is the only way we'll ever get in without all of those  
monsters noticing," the princess said. "Oh well. I guess I don't have  
much of a choice, do I?" Zelda said, shaking her head. "Not really," the  
princess admitted. "I might as well just use Farore's wind already," Zelda  
said, looking up at the window.  
  
Within seconds, she was clinging to the windowsill. She pulled herself up  
and slid through the window opening. She must have pushed a little too  
hard when she slid through, because she had a hard landing on the floor. A  
cloud of dust blew up and Zelda couldn't help but cough.  
  
Tiana: You kinda have a thing for cliffhangers, don't you, Aria?  
Aria: I know. It's a curse.  
Anri: It's not like that really unnerving one in chapters thirty-seven  
through thirty-nine, is it, Lady Aria?  
Aria: Heavens no! If it was that, I wouldn't be talking to you all. Don't  
frighten me like that, will you? The fact that I made up such a  
frightening thing even scares me and I'm the authoress!  
Anri: I'll do my best.  
Aria: Okay. Um, what should I do now?  
Din: *walks into area* Has anyone seen my orange peeler?  
Tiana: You left it on one of the clouds.  
Din: *shoulders slump* Oh great. That doesn't help much. This place is  
full of clouds!  
Tiana: Sorry. Do you want me to help you look for it?  
Din: Might as well. Come on. *she and Tiana go off*  
Aria: Are you sure she's not addicted to those things, Anri? I'm actually  
beginning to worry.  
Anri: Should I watch Din for you?  
Aria: Yes, please.  
Anri: As you wish. *flies away*  
Aria: Okay! Getting back to things! How'd you like chapter thirty-five?  
I already said that I'd be posting the next one with it, but I'll repeat  
myself. Chapter thirty-six is on the way too! See ya in a bit! 


	36. Chapter 36: The Ocarina and the Mini God...

Aria: We're back again! Tiana and Din are still looking for Din's orange  
peeler and Anri is watching over Din so we can tell if she has an unnatural  
obsession with the citrus fruit or not.  
Twister: Are oranges those strange, circular things that Din likes to eat?  
If they are, I don't know why she likes them. They taste nasty! *flicks  
tail*  
Farore: That's because you're a kitty cat, Twister.  
Twister: What's a kitty?  
Aria: *sweat drops* Nayru, help!  
Nayru: What's the problem?  
Aria: I have a very naïve feline muse.  
Nayru: What do you want me to do about it?  
Aria: Teach him! Cats are supposed to be smart! He's scaring me!  
Nayru: Alright. I'll teach him. *goes to grab Twister*  
Farore: Who's turn is it to wake up Kaepora?  
Aria: Poor owl. If it wasn't for his job, he wouldn't have hordes of  
females and a crazy cat waking him up every chapter. Anyway, it's your  
turn.  
Farore: What should I do?  
Aria: I dunno. Yell at him or something.  
Farore: Okay. *takes deep breath* KAEPORA! WAKE UP!  
Everyone else: *flinches*  
Aria: Thanks, Farore. That was loud.  
Farore: You're welcome.  
Kaepora: You know, a decent alarm clock would work just as well. You don't  
have to get them to yell at me.  
Aria: We couldn't get an alarm clock that would stay in your tree.  
Kaepora: *grumbles*  
Aria: Just do the disclaimers and we'll leave you alone until tomorrow.  
Kaepora: Aria Zephyr is the owner and authoress of The Way the Winds of  
Time Blow. She does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters,  
places in the games, and so forth.  
Aria: Does anyone remember in chapter twenty-four when that nasty brat, the  
witch, said that she'd reduced those who would help Link and Tetra/Zelda to  
not much more than TINY nuisances? Well, she was being literal about that.  
I'm not saying who, but you'll find out in this chapter. Gosh, how long  
ago WAS chapter twenty-four?!  
  
Chapter 36: The Ocarina and the Mini Gods  
  
After her coughing stopped and she had deactivated the invisibility spell  
and the shield, Zelda looked around at the room. Everything was extremely  
dusty, save a few cloths that were tossed over some rectangular objects. A  
stone seat was not far off to her left and it was only slightly dusty, as  
if someone had been using it. A hook was on the wall above the seat, but  
nothing hung from it. On one of the shelves, a strangely shaped blue flute  
rested, completely dust-free and beautifully shining.  
  
"Oh my," the princess gasped when she saw the room. Her eyes took in  
everything within it, but they stopped when she saw the flute. "The  
ocarina! That's where it has been!" she whispered. "The what?" Zelda  
asked, confused. "That flute-it's the Ocarina of Time! It was stolen from  
the treasury of Hyrule about the time the sages disappeared!" the princess  
said.  
  
"Does it belong to you?" Zelda inquired. "Not exactly, but it certainly  
doesn't belong here!" the princess said. "I have an idea. Why don't I see  
if it has a spell protecting it and if it doesn't we take it out of here?  
You already said it doesn't belong here," Zelda suggested. "I suppose that  
would be all right, but if you feel anything, anything, you come back here  
and leave it alone. Understand?" the princess said. "I do," Zelda  
replied.  
  
She walked up to the shelf the ocarina rested on and lifted her hand above  
it as if she was going to take it. She closed her eyes and tried to feel  
any enchantment that the witch might have laid upon it. Feeling nothing,  
Zelda stretched her hand out farther and picked it up.  
  
Nothing happened and the ocarina lay quietly in her hand. Zelda walked  
back to the princess and showed it to her. "Well done. Now, let's find  
where your friend may be," the princess said as Zelda put the ocarina in  
her pocket.  
  
Suddenly, something shook in whatever was covered by the dust-free cloths.  
"What in the world?!" Zelda gasped, stumbling back in surprise. Whatever  
was shaking was making sharp grunting noises and it snorted as if in  
frustration. "Something's under those," Zelda said, eying the cloths  
warily. There was a sound like a candle being blown out and a tiny scorch  
mark appeared on one of the cloths.  
  
"It breathes fire? I wonder." Zelda murmured, unconsciously taking a step  
towards the covered objects. "Child! We do not know what things the witch  
may keep in here! Use caution!" the princess warned, her voice ringing  
with concern. Zelda nodded and approached the objects. With one quick  
motion, she pulled the cloths away from what they covered.  
  
"Valoo?!" she gasped, stunned. A tiny red dragon that looked very much  
like Valoo was circling the inside of a cage, occasionally blowing smoke  
out of his nose. The other object was a cage as well and two toad-like  
creatures were pouting on clouds inside it.  
  
"That is Valoo? I expected a dragon to be much larger," the princess said,  
leaning over slightly to see him better. "He was. At least, I don't think  
he's supposed to be the size of a hummingbird. He was the size of a large  
galleon before," Zelda said. "Do you know what they are?" the princess  
asked, pointing to the red and blue toad things. "Um, they kind of look  
like what Link told me the wind gods, Zephos and Cyclos, look like," Zelda  
said.  
  
"Listen here! We're not supposed to be this small! Somebody shrunk us!"  
the red toad squeaked in a high-pitched voice. "Are you Zephos and  
Cyclos?" Zelda asked, leaning towards the cage. "Yes!" the toads shrilled.  
"Did the witch shrink you?" she inquired. "The witch? You mean the girl  
with the orange hair? We dunno. I was just enjoying myself, smelling the  
sweet breezes over Forest Haven when somebody snatched me straight outta  
the air and shrunk me down! This is humiliating, you know," Zephos said.  
  
"Can you let us out? I mean, we would have if we could have, but that  
witch has a spell on the lever that burns us when we touch it!" Cyclos  
said. "Um, I'm not sure. You see, we're really trying to avoid anyone  
finding us here," Zelda said. "Don't worry! The kid was able to touch the  
cage without her noticing, but she came in before he could let us out,"  
Cyclos said.  
  
"Who? Do you mean that Link was in this room before?" Zelda asked. "Yeah.  
This big monster with a big sword and a black cape just appeared outta  
nowhere and just dumped him on the floor," Zephos said. Then, he shook his  
head sadly. "Poor kid. The witch doesn't have any other prisoners and we  
heard someone screaming yesterday. Sounded like their heart was being torn  
out or something. If that was him, I really hope he's alright," he said.  
  
Zelda knew that her dream from before wasn't just a dream anymore, but she  
pushed her longing to see him again aside and asked; "If I let you all out,  
can you tell me where you think he is?" "Yeah, sure. We know where the  
dungeons are. That's the most likely place. She kept us in there at first  
before she moved us in here so she could laugh at us more often," Cyclos  
said. "Speaking of which, you'd better hurry! This is the witch's private  
room and she hardly leaves it. Except when she." Cyclos said, but Zephos  
jabbed him the ribs with his elbow and gave him a dirty look.  
  
"Okay; I'll let you out. But, how will you return to normal size?" Zelda  
said. "The shrinking spell is on the cages, only. When you let us out, I  
suppose we'll have to wait about fifteen or twenty minutes until it wears  
off," Zephos said. "Good, because if Valoo suddenly started going back to  
his original size in here, the witch would obviously know someone was  
sneaking," Zelda said, flipping the lever that held the cage shut.  
  
She lifted the opening and Zephos and Cyclos drifted out. She opened the  
other cage and Valoo the tiny joined them. "We'll fly out the window and  
distract the guards when we get back to full size. You should cover the  
cages with those cloths again to make it look like no one was here," Cyclos  
said. "But, won't she notice that I took the ocarina?" Zelda asked. "Nah!  
She doesn't even pay attention to that thing. She just keeps it because  
it boosts her ego," Zephos said.  
  
The three flew towards the window and they paused. "The dungeons are down  
the hall to the left. The door leading to their hallway is the fourth on  
the right. Don't pay any attention to any doors down the hall you'll pass  
through on the way. The dungeon door is the one at the end of the hall.  
You'll have at most twenty minutes before our spell wears off. By then,  
the witch will know something is up and she'll be after you like there's no  
tomorrow! You have only that much time to get the kid and get out," Zephos  
warned. "Okay; I get the idea! Now, hurry, before she comes!" Zelda said,  
rushing to replace the cloths. "Good luck!" Cyclos called, and they left.  
  
Din: YOU HAD HER SHRINK VALOO DOWN TO THE SIZE OF A BLEEPING HUMMINGBIRD?!  
Aria: *winces* Calm down, Din! Sheesh! It's not like it's permanent!  
Din: *grumbles*  
Anri: Lady Aria, I do have to admit that having that woman shrink a dragon  
and the wind gods down to the size of hummingbirds is rather extreme.  
Aria: It's just another thing I'm using to show that the witch is  
exceedingly powerful and that she's pretty willing to do nasty things to  
those she doesn't particularly like. I already said it isn't permanent.  
They'll be fine! I swear on the Triforce!  
Tiana: She HAS to be telling the truth. NO ONE swears on the Triforce  
unless they really mean it!  
Twister: I thought that swearing was bad!  
Everyone: *sweat drops*  
Twister: What?  
Aria: Never mind, Twister. Go back to your lessons. Why'd I make such a  
naïve muse?  
Farore: Because he's as cute as a button.  
Tiana: That is true, but right now, he has the IQ of a button. Let's hope  
Nayru can make him a genius soon.  
Aria: If she doesn't he'll drive us crazy with his naïveté!  
Farore: I miss Darunia. He was silly, but he's not grumpy like Kaepora  
gets.  
Aria: He's in a better place. I can have him over for tea next update  
though.  
Farore: Yay! Can I go plan for it?  
Aria: Uh, knock yourself out.  
Farore: Wahoo! *skips merrily away*  
Aria: I feel like I just released a monster.  
Anri: It's okay, Lady Aria. I'm sure everything will be fine.  
*crashing sounds come from where Farore went to*  
Anri: Or not.  
Aria: Tiana! Hold down the fort! I've got to go see what she's doing!  
Anri! Help her until I get back, which hopefully won't be long! I hope  
everyone liked this update! See you soon! Bye! Farore! What are you  
doing?! 


	37. Chapter 37: The Spell

Aria: Okay. I've finally cleaned up the mess Farore got herself into.  
Tiana: She opened up a pantry and got hit with an avalanche of pots and  
pans. She got a broken arm, but Aria is still mad at her, so it has to  
heal the natural way.  
Farore: *walks in with cast on arm* I've boiled the water for tea! When's  
Darunia getting here?  
Anri: He'll be here in the next chapter.  
Farore: Awww.  
Aria: She should be glad he's coming at all! After that stunt of hers, I  
was ready to hit the ceiling!  
Kaepora: There isn't one.  
Aria: It's an expression.  
Kaepora: Oh.  
Aria: With all the craziness, Kaepora's been up for a while, so we don't  
have to scream at him this time.  
Anri: Lady Aria, haven't you read your reviews yet?  
Aria: Uh. . . no.  
Anri: Could you please go check? You might have gotten a message from my  
master and brother!  
Aria: Oh! I forgot about that! Come on! *runs off with Anri following*  
Kaepora: Oh crap. That means I have to do the disclaimers now. Ahem!  
Aria Zephyr, the authoress of this story, does not own the Legend of Zelda  
games, their characters, and such in that context. She does own the story,  
the plot line and the original character, Natalia the witch.  
Tiana: Nayru is still teaching Twister and everyone else is doing  
something, so I guess I'd better start the story. Um, in this chapter we  
find out what that nasty witch has been putting our dear Link through. Oh  
my! This is awful! Aria! Where are you? Something's terribly wrong with  
Link!  
  
Chapter 37: The Spell  
  
"We should heed Zephos' warning and hurry as much as possible," the  
princess said as Zelda tried to make things look the same as they had when  
she had entered. "I know. I'm going!" Zelda said. She ran to the door  
and glanced around the hall. It was empty, save for a few torches that  
were spaced very far apart and the occasional opening to a door.  
  
Zelda hurried as quickly and quietly as she could along the hall. She was  
careful to pay attention to Zephos' instructions and counted how many doors  
she passed that were on her right. Just as she reached the fourth door,  
the knob moved and Zelda ducked for cover behind a large, ugly statue.  
  
The woman she had seen in her dream, the woman with dark skin and flame  
colored hair, came out of the door, carrying her bright mirror with her.  
"He hah! With the spell that boy's under, he'll either tell me where the  
girl is or he'll be my unwitting underling! Either way, I win and when I  
have the Triforce, none shall stop me! Ha, ha, ha, ha!" she cackled to  
herself, unmindful of the hidden Zelda.  
  
Zelda waited until the witch had entered her room and had slammed the door  
shut before she ran to the door ahead of her and opened it. Her heart was  
full of worry and fear for Link as she flew down the hall and opened the  
door at the end.  
  
There was a deadly quiet in the dungeon when she had opened the door. The  
soft creaks the door made as she opened it seemed all too loud. She peered  
inside, hoping that there was no guard. "The silence is far too quiet.  
Something dreadful is afoot," the princess murmured from over Zelda's  
shoulder.  
  
Zelda cracked the door open more and glanced around warily again. Finally,  
she closed the door and turned around. Three barred cells lay on each side  
and all were locked tightly shut. Zelda searched her memory, trying to  
remember which cell she had seen Link in when she had seen him in her  
dream.  
Without knowing it, she was standing directly in front of one of the cells.  
She had shut her eyes to think better, but when the princess attracted her  
attention, she opened them again. There, lying spread-eagle in the cell  
before her, was Link.  
  
"Oh no!" she whispered, her eyes widening. In the dim light provided by a  
small lamp on the wall behind her, she could see that his normally shiny  
dark-green eyes were open and there was a dull, fathomless look to them.  
"Oh no. I'm too late." she murmured to herself, staring at him. Just  
looking at him brought tears to her eyes and she looked away.  
  
Zelda turned to the princess and said, "We have to get him out of here!  
But, how can we open the door?" "Use Din's fire and aim for the lock.  
That should break it and we can get in," the princess said. Her voice  
sounded thick; as if she had a cold or it she was holding back emotion.  
  
Zelda rubbed a pesky tear away from her eyes and concentrated her magic at  
the lock. The flames burst from her hands and impacted the lock. There  
was a small sizzling sound and the door opened slightly.  
  
Zelda immediately ran in to Link's side. "Oh no! He's not-I mean-he can't  
be!" she whispered, trying to find a pulse. She tried laying her head on  
his chest to listen for a heartbeat. Her eyes sparkled with tears again  
and she raised her head.  
  
"I.can't hear anything," she said to her ancestor, her voice laced with  
pain. The princess glanced at her and entered the cell. She leaned down  
over the boy's prone form and held a hand inches above his forehead. Her  
hand began to glow slightly.  
  
"He's not dead," she said, "There's some sort of spell on him. Whatever it  
is, his body looks dead, but that's only because his spirit is trapped  
within the spell. He's more in a dream than anything else."  
  
"But, how do we break the spell?" Zelda asked. "Not we; you. You're the  
only one who can break the spell," the princess said. "Me?" Zelda asked.  
"Yes, you. You do feel very strongly for this boy, don't you?" the  
princess asked. "Yes, of course I do," Zelda said. "You are the only one  
who can break the spell because of that. It is very strong and only  
something that can rival the power of the spell can break it," the princess  
said.  
  
Zelda was completely silent for a moment, staring into Link's emotionless  
eyes. "Tell me how," she said finally. "Just take his hand and totally  
clear your mind of everything. Then, I want you to think only of him and  
you will be taken into the world the spell has created. Be very careful;  
the spell was only meant to overpower him. It won't like you coming in and  
may try to overpower you as well. Whatever you do, do not allow that to  
happen," she warned. "I understand," Zelda said. "Good luck," the  
princess whispered.  
  
Then, Zelda took hold of Link's hand and let all her thoughts pass from  
her. Suddenly, her eyes took on the same deaden look as Link's and she  
fell forward from her kneeling position. Her head lay across Link's chest  
and her breathing had ceased.  
  
"I wish you very good luck, my child," the princess murmured.  
  
Aria: *is reading a review* Anri, what do you think this means?  
Anri: I can't say until my master returns.  
Aria: Oh. Now I'm gonna drive myself nuts trying to figure out what! Oh  
well. No one said life was fair.  
Tiana: What did the witch mean?  
Aria: Oh, that? The next chapter will explain it, don't worry.  
Tiana: But, I do! What's happening to Link? Is he gonna be all right?  
Aria: Read the next chapter and see.  
Tiana: Darn.  
Anri: Lady Aria, you did say that you're going to be talking somewhat in  
the next chapter. Shouldn't you go get ready?  
Aria: Oh, man! Why am I forgetting things all of a sudden?! Anri and  
Tiana, when everyone gets back, tell them I had to do some interference.  
I'll be back in chapter thirty-nine. See ya! *vanishes*  
Tiana: What do we do now? We're the only ones here other than Kaepora and  
he's asleep.  
Anri: We could straighten some things up for Lady Aria when she gets back.  
I'm sure she'd appreciate it.  
Tiana: Yeah! *they both fly off* 


	38. Chapter 38: The Spell of the Dark Void

Anri: Tiana and I are still waiting for Lady Aria's return.  
Darunia: *shows up out of nowhere* Hello! Where is everybody? Who are  
you?  
Anri and Tiana: *exchange glances*  
Darunia: *scratches head* I don't remember Aria having two fairies around.  
I thought she was still annoyed at Navi.  
Tiana: She is! I'm Tiana and that's Anri! We're Aria's personal helpers!  
Darunia: Where is the authoress anyway?  
Anri: Uh, she had to sort some things out somewhere in the chapter. She'll  
be back next time.  
Darunia: Then, who's hosting the tea party I was invited to?  
Farore: *comes in with tea settings and shortbread on plate floating behind  
her* I am! Hello, Darunia! Welcome back!  
Darunia: Hello, your godliness. What happened to your arm?  
Farore: Freak accident. My fault. Would you like some tea? *holds filled  
teacup out to him*  
Darunia: Um, thanks. *looks at it warily* You and your sisters aren't still  
upset about the guppy incident, are you?  
Farore: No, why? Are you afraid that I poisoned the tea?  
Darunia: *laughs nervously* No! I was just wondering.  
Tiana: Just drink the tea already! We have to start the story or Aria will  
be furious!  
Darunia: *takes big gulp*  
Tiana: That's better.  
Anri: You certainly know how to take charge when you're getting impatient.  
Tiana: Thanks!  
Kaepora: I'm here. Disclaimer time, right?  
Anri: Exactly.  
Kaepora: The authoress and the owner of this story is Aria Zephyr. Miss  
Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, etc.  
Aria's voice: Great job, guys! I'll take over from here!  
Anri and Tiana: Yes, ma'am!  
  
Chapter 38: The Spell of the Dark Void  
  
Alright. Let's backtrack a little. We know that the witch cast a spell on  
Link. But, what spell and why did she cast it? What are the effects?  
What does the spell do to reach those effects? Let's go to when the witch  
originally left her room. This was about the time Zelda was waiting for  
her ancestor.  
  
"You still have not found the location of the girl?" an emotionless voice  
asked from within the mirror the witch carried. "The boy is.stubborn. He  
refuses to say where she is. All he says is 'I don't know where she is and  
even if I did, I would never tell you in a thousand lifetimes!'" the witch  
replied.  
  
"Obstinate fool," she chuckled. "Still, you must find a way to get him to  
tell you where she is. It is most important that you find her," the mirror  
said. "I know, I know," the witch said, annoyed. "But, I don't have to  
find a way; I already have and no matter what, I'm bound to get what I  
want," she said with an evil smile. "Ooh! Tell," the mirror said.  
  
"I found an old spell in one of the dusty old books here. It's more of a  
curse really. It kidnaps the spirit from the body and locks it away in  
another dimension. When the spirit is there, either it must comply with  
the wishes of the spell caster, it becomes the emotionless and mindless  
slave of the spell caster, and, if the spirit is particularly stubborn, it  
dies and when a spirit dies, there's nothing left. The perfect curse," she  
cackled.  
  
"It sounds very amusing, but are you sure you have that kind of power?" the  
mirror asked. "Oh, do be serious! You know what I have," she said,  
raising her right hand. The insignia of the Triforce shone on it and the  
lower right triangle was flashing.  
  
"The Triforce of Power! The power of the gods themselves!" the witch  
smiled. "Not to mention, my inheritance," she added. "Ooh! So, are you  
sure that the boy and the girl will lead you to the other pieces of the  
Triforce?" the mirror asked. "No doubt," the witch said. "I have my  
henchmen stalking their friends. You don't really think that they would  
want their most precious companions to die, do you?" she inquired.  
  
"That would be an affirmative no. It's a brilliant plan, through and  
through. There's really no way to upset it. I love it!" the mirror  
laughed. "Don't you just?" the witch joined.  
  
By then, she was at the very door to the dungeons. "Here. I'll lean you  
up against the wall while I cast the spell. You certainly would like to  
see the show, wouldn't you?" she said to the mirror. "Oh, yes, mistress.  
Very much so," the mirror said. "Good. Now shut up," the witch said,  
opening the door.  
  
She walked up to one of the cells and stopped in front of it. She placed  
her hands on her hips and said, "Well, boy, are you going to tell me know  
where that girl is?" "I'm not and I never will, you old hag," Link replied  
defiantly. "Ooh! I'm so hurt!" the witch mocked, laughing.  
  
"Really, boy, why do you insist on protecting this girl?" she asked.  
"That's none of your business!" Link snapped. "Oh, I see. Is it that you  
are in love with this girl? Is that it? Hm?" the witch demanded. "I'm  
still not going to tell you," Link said. "Oh, how sweet! A wonderful and  
romantic tragedy!" the witch mocked.  
  
"Now, let's be perfectly serious, boy. I want you to tell me where that  
girl is and if you don't tell me, I have a spell here that will make you  
tell me," the witch threatened. "I'm not scared of you. Even after you  
used that spell on me before, I'm not scared of you," Link said, as calmly  
as a summer breeze.  
  
"So, you're willing to lose everything just to protect one girl? Bah!  
Have it your way then! Die for all I care!" the witch snapped. She rolled  
the loose sleeves of her dark robes back and shook her wrists to loosen  
herself up. Then, she stretched her arms to their full length and began.  
  
At first, she was only chanting, very softly. But, soon her voice grew  
louder and her hands started to glow with a dark energy. There was an  
outcry of pain as the spell began to take effect on Link. The witch didn't  
notice and continued.  
  
As the spell grew stronger and more define, Link's agony increased from it.  
Then, as the spell was nearly complete, the pained scream that Link had  
been suppressing ripped free as his very spirit was torn away. The spell  
flung him out on his back and his eyes were left with a dead look. The  
witch continued her chant, completing the spell.  
  
"It is finished," she said finally, "The Spell of the Dark Void has him and  
one of the three outcomes will happen, undoubtedly." She unrolled her  
sleeves and picked up her mirror again. She left the dungeon and closed  
the door.  
  
"Are you quite sure that the spell will work?" the mirror asked. "Of  
course it will!" the witch snapped. Then, she laughed to herself. "He  
hah! With the spell that boy's under, he'll either tell me where the girl  
is or he'll be my unwitting underling! Either way, I win and when I have  
the Triforce, none shall stop me! Ha, ha, ha, ha!" she cackled.  
  
Okay. I know what you're thinking; that is one very evil witch. And, yes,  
I know it's cruel to have Link go through all that pain, but think about  
this seriously. If you were having your spirit sent to some other  
dimension, don't you think it would hurt, a lot? I know the truth is  
harsh, but that's life for ya; totally unfair. And, the last thing the  
witch said is what Zelda overheard in the hallway. As you can tell, the  
witch really doesn't think that Link can take the agony of being trapped in  
the Spell of the Dark Void. And, no; the spell isn't all just a dramatic  
name. Let's hope he can hang on until Zelda can free him from it!  
  
Speaking of whom, let's return to our favorite princess, shall we?  
  
Tiana: Oh, bravo, Aria! But, that witch is really so cruel! How can she  
do that and enjoy it?  
Anri: That we may never know. Though, I'm sure we don't want to.  
Tiana: I think you're right.  
Darunia: It's been a scream hanging out here again, but I really must  
leave. Ciao! *runs*  
Farore: He didn't even eat that much. Oh well. *devours what's left*  
Tiana: Okay; now I'm scared of her.  
Anri: Lady Aria! Hurry and come back! 


	39. Chapter 39: Within the World of the Dark...

Aria: Hello everyone! How was everything while I was handling time shifts?  
Anri: Farore freaked Tiana out last chapter by eating a lot of things in  
one mouthful, Lady Aria.  
Farore: What? I was hungry.  
Aria: *sweat drops* Now, I'm scared.  
Anri: Lady Aria, if I may, can I ask about the voice in the witch's mirror?  
Aria: Sure. Well, remember how Nabooru said that the witch had a magical  
mirror in chapter thirty-three? Well, the mirror has the power to talk as  
well and it seems to have picked up on the witch's rather distasteful  
attitude.  
Tiana: That explains a lot.  
Farore: Where are Din, Nayru, and Twister? I haven't seen any of them  
lately.  
Aria: Ah, well, Nayru is still attempting to teach Twister and Din, um, had  
an allergic reaction and she's still recovering.  
Tiana: What happened?  
Aria: Vitamin C overdose. I had to get someone to pump her stomach. She  
can't touch another orange for the rest of her existence, though.  
Tiana: Oh dear!  
Aria: She's okay. But, she's upset she can't have her favorite food  
anymore.  
Kaepora: Can we just get on with the bloody story so I can sleep for  
another bleeping day?!  
Aria: You don't need to be cross, Kaepora. Go and do the disclaimers.  
Kaepora: Finally. Aria Zephyr is the authoress and owner of this story.  
She does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, and etc.  
Aria: Finally, in this chapter we learn where the Hero of Time is and Zelda  
saves her hero! Sweet romantic moment ahead! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 39: Within the World of the Dark Void  
  
Zelda felt as if she was falling. Not, falling as if from a cliff, just  
falling; always and eternally falling. She had felt a sharp pain when she  
had begun to think about Link, but it had ended quickly. She didn't know  
why.  
  
She eventually, or so it seemed, landed. She got to her feet and tried  
looking around her. Everything was completely and totally dark. It was  
very frightening, really. There was also an unwelcoming chill that the  
place possessed.  
  
Ignoring these discomforts, Zelda started walking. At first, she had  
minded the chill and the darkness, but as she walked blindly on, she didn't  
mind them so much. However, very soon, that changed.  
  
Zelda was hit by something. Not physically; it just felt like something  
was nearby and whatever it was it had extreme power. Zelda walked in the  
direction the feeling had come from and was sucked into something very like  
a nightmare.  
  
She heard a thunderous screech and she turned her head to see the Helmaroc  
King bearing down upon her. She ducked, but wasn't quick enough.  
Strangely, the bird's claws passed straight through her and kept going.  
  
She blinked in astonishment until she heard the terrified cry of a young  
girl. She looked and saw the bird snatch up a girl with blond hair kept in  
two short, braided pigtails. The Helmaroc King and Aryll vanished.  
  
She then saw Link's grandmother, sitting in a chair. Zelda thought this  
was odd until she approached the old woman and saw that she was very sick.  
Just like before, she too vanished.  
  
Then, she saw, bizarrely, an image of herself, vanishing in a flash of  
light.  
  
Finally, she found herself on the beach at Outset Island. There was a wild  
thunderstorm out and the wind and rain was blinding. She saw a boat,  
carrying a man and a woman, on the far side of the island. They seemed to  
be heading for a small dark shape near them. The other boat sailed back to  
the village, but a giant wave caught the boat with the man and the woman on  
it and slammed it straight into the rocks nearby.  
  
That was when Zelda realized what the spell was doing. She realized that  
it was tormenting Link with his worst memories; the memories where he  
nearly or did lose someone he cared about. When she came to this  
realization, she could hear a voice nearby. She ran towards the sounds and  
saw Link standing there.  
  
Just as she tried to run to him, something stopped her and she looked up.  
Ganondorf stood before her, leering at her with a terrible smile. He was  
giant sized. Zelda stumbled back in horror and he smiled more widely.  
  
"What's the matter, Princess Zelda? Afraid?" he boomed. She didn't reply  
and backed away. "Oh, do I scare you? Your precious hero must not be  
worth more than your fear, then," he mocked. Zelda looked around him and  
saw that Link had a look of terror that matched her own.  
  
"That's where you're wrong!" she called to the laughing giant. He stopped  
his laughter and said, "What was that?" "I don't care about my fear. The  
only thing worse than anything you could inflict is if I left Link when he  
needed help the most willingly!" she yelled. Ganondorf's face twisted and  
he vanished.  
  
Zelda immediately ran to Link. "Link! It's me! Zelda!" she called. He  
looked at her and blinked in surprise. "I was so worried about you!" she  
said, throwing her arms around him and hugging him for all she was worth.  
She could feel tears of relief coming to her eyes, but she didn't care.  
  
Gently, she felt Link return the hug. "Where were you? After I was  
kidnapped, I thought you might have been hurt," he whispered into her ear.  
"I'm not sure what I could call that place, but all I wanted was to see you  
again, safe," she replied, her eyes shining. He brushed a tear away from  
her cheek and said, "I wish you wouldn't cry; I'd hate to think I made you  
cry." "Don't worry; I'm just glad to see you," she replied, resting her  
head on his chest.  
  
"This is impossible! What are you doing here, you royal wench! You're  
ruining everything!" a terrible voice said. Both Link and Zelda looked and  
saw a dream version of the witch standing there. She stomped up to them,  
her face contorted in rage. "You brat! How dare you ruin my perfect  
plan!" she screamed at Zelda.  
  
Before she could move, the dream witch grabbed Zelda by her hair and pulled  
her away from Link. "You'll pay for this! You'll never leave this world!"  
the witch shrieked. "I don't think so," Link said. The dream witch  
glanced up and was struck by a light arrow. The force and magic from the  
arrow shoved her back and she let go of Zelda.  
  
Link ran to her and helped her up. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I'll be all  
right. Thanks," Zelda replied, smiling. "You.little brats," the dream  
witch snarled feebly. "Don't you ever hurt her again, do you hear me? If  
you do, you'll regret it," Link said to her, his eyes burning with anger.  
  
"You still won't leave this place alive. Not with me still here," the  
dream witch said. "I beg to differ," Zelda said, "This world is not much  
more than a dream and you are a dream too." "You won't get away. Even if  
this place isn't real, you won't live much longer in the real world," the  
dream witch said. "We'll see about that," Zelda said, readying herself for  
an attack of Din's fire.  
  
"Link, let's both attack her on the count of three and let's end this bad  
dream!" she said. Link nodded and nocked a new arrow to his bow. "One,  
two, three!" they counted and they released their attacks. "YOU WRETCHED  
BRATS!" the dream witch screamed and she was gone.  
  
The void twisted and churned with her end. "Now what?" Link cried as the  
place rippled. "Now that the main part of the spell had been destroyed,  
the rest of it is collapsing!" Zelda said. With a sharp jerk and the sound  
of something shattering, the spell ended.  
  
The princess was still watching the unmoving bodies of Link and Zelda.  
Their spirits still hadn't returned! Just then, suddenly, Zelda's eyes  
blinked and recovered their brightness. Link groaned and squeezed his eyes  
closed. "How long were my eyes open like that?" he mumbled.  
  
Zelda lifted her head and rubbed her eyes slightly. "Ugh, my head," Zelda  
said, putting a hand to it. "Is that were the dream hurt you? I thought  
that wouldn't have any effect here," Link asked. "No, I just moved too  
quickly," Zelda reassured him. He pushed himself up on his elbows and made  
an attempt at sitting up.  
  
"You're all right! I was almost worried that you wouldn't make it back!"  
the princess said, capturing their attention. Zelda smiled at her, but  
Link was staring in confusion. "Tet-I mean, Zelda, who is that?" he asked.  
"That's my ancestor; she helped me get here," Zelda said.  
  
"Are you a ghost, ma'am?" he asked. "No, just a spirit whose time out of  
her place is waning," the princess said. "What do you mean by that?" Zelda  
asked. The princess smiled sadly and said, "If you haven't noticed, I'm  
starting to fade. I can only stay outside of the Land for so long and I'm  
pushing my limits."  
  
"But, you can't go now! We still don't know were the Hero of Time is!"  
Zelda said. "No, we don't. He's inside that bottle on the shelf," Link  
said. Zelda stared at him in shock and he gave her a sheepish look. "He  
kinda tried to hide it from me, but I guessed right in the end. He kept me  
company when I was lonely," he explained.  
  
"That's wonderful, but I must tell you two something before I leave!" the  
princess said. They both stopped talking and looked at her. She took a  
breath and said, "The witch has the Triforce of Power, giving her,  
obviously, a great deal of it. She is very strong right now. You must  
find something pure that is stronger than power itself. When you do, the  
witch will be destroyed and her spirit sent to the Evil Realm. That is  
all. Good-bye and good luck to you." She vanished.  
  
Tiana: Oh, that's so sweet! He was worried about her!  
Anri: I must say, however brief the moment, it shows that Link obviously  
cares about Zelda.  
Aria: Personally, I love that scene.  
Farore: When are they gonna kiss?  
Aria: Not yet! They don't even know if they're in love or not! You're  
jumping ahead, Farore.  
Farore: Sorry. What happens next?  
Aria: I'm posting three chapters today and you're not satisfied? I can't  
tell you what happens now!  
Farore: Darn. I was hoping I could make you tell.  
Aria: Tough luck. You gotta wait like everybody else. Except Tiana and  
Anri, that is. They're allowed to read chapters I've already written that  
no one else has seen.  
Farore: WHY???????  
Aria: Because, they're excellent helpers and they don't blab. Okay! What  
does everyone think so far! Don't get the idea that the adventure is  
ending too soon! There's still one very big problem left: the witch!  
Until next time, read and review! Bye! Anri, you can visit your master  
and brother now.  
Anri: Really?!! Thank you! *flies off*  
Aria: I love it when my helpers are happy. ^_________________^!!!!!! 


	40. Chapter 40: Attempt at Escape from the W...

Sol: Wow! This place is BIG!  
Aria: I'm glad you like it.  
Sol: You're Lady Aria! Neat!  
Aria: This is Anri's little brother, Sol. He'll be staying with us because  
his and Anri's master has a crisis to take care of.  
Anri: I hope he'll be alright.  
Aria: Knowing your master, he'll be fine, Anri. Don't worry.  
Farore: But, you've never talked to him directly.  
Aria: I already know that! I'm making judgments from the things he's said  
in his reviews.  
Farore: Oh.  
Kaepora: CAN I DO THE BLOODY DISCLAIMERS NOW IF YOU'RE DONE TALKING?!  
Sol: Eek! Anri! He's scary!  
Aria: Kaepora, do the disclaimers and STOP SCARING SOL!  
Kaepora: Humph! Aria Zephyr is the authoress and owner of this story, but  
she does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their characters, or such  
pertaining to that.  
Aria: Thank you, Mr. Obvious. You can go now.  
Kaepora: Humph! *flies away*  
Sol: Is he always that creepy?  
Aria: Only when he thinks we've been talking too long. Don't worry; he's  
gone during most of the time.  
Sol: That's good.  
Aria: Okay. Back to the story: I'm sorry if anyone thinks they skipped a  
section when Link said that he and the bottled Hero of Time talked. Let me  
phrase things this way: while Link was being held in the dungeons, the  
witch would occasionally come in to harass him, trying to get him to tell  
her where Zelda was. Afterwards, the Hero of Time tried to tell him to  
just not tell her anything and he kept Link company. They chatted and Link  
eventually asked who the Hero of Time was. He mumbled something about him  
not being important, but Link insisted and found out. Is that  
satisfactory? I hope so, because I need to take a breath now.  
Sol: Can I start the story?  
Aria: Sure.  
Sol: Yay! Here is chapter number forty!  
  
Chapter 40: Attempt at Escape from the Witch's Fortress  
  
"Um, what do you think she meant by that?" Link asked, after the princess  
had left. Suddenly, they heard a roar of triumph. "I don't know, but we'd  
better get out of here! She knows I'm here!" Zelda cried in panic. Link  
nodded and shoved the door open.  
  
"That witch took my weapons and things and put them in another one of the  
cells. I'd like to get those back," Link said. "Fine! I'll find them and  
you get the bottle! Hurry!" Zelda said.  
  
She hastily pulled out her Star Light and lit it. She used it to find the  
items by watching for the light reflecting off the shiny metal of Link's  
mirror shield. She used Din's fire to open the door and Link ran over to  
her, clutching the bottle. She took it while he quickly grabbed his  
things.  
  
"Is there any other way out of here other than that door?" Zelda asked, her  
mind racing. "I'm afraid not, young princess. The only way out of the  
dungeons is through the direct route," the bottle said. "That's not good!  
The witch is probably coming this way!" Link said. "Calm down. Just get  
into the hallway and I'll tell you where you can hide if she comes this  
way," the bottle said.  
  
"Ouch!" Zelda suddenly yelped. "What's the. . . ow! What in the world?"  
Link said. "Uh oh. . . Is that coming from your hands?" the bottle asked.  
"Yes," they replied. "She's getting closer," the bottle warned. Link and  
Zelda exchanged glances and rushed into the hall.  
  
They heard the sound of a slamming door and they saw a shadow on the wall  
up ahead. "Here she comes!" Zelda whispered. "Quick! Open the door to  
your left and get in!" the bottle instructed.  
  
They did so and found themselves in another hallway. "What?" Link asked.  
"When Hyrule originally made a raid on this place to catch the witch, a  
hotshot magician installed it. Only people who are pure of heart can see  
the door and it gives them exactly what they need. And, might I add, what  
you need is an escape route," the bottle explained. "Nifty," Link  
remarked. "We can admire the genius of an ancient magician later! Let's  
go!" Zelda said.  
  
As they hurried along the hallway, Zelda was able to calm down without the  
witch being right behind them. "You were being bossy again," Link teased.  
"Was not!" Zelda retorted. "Was too!" Link countered. "Ah, the simplicity  
of having a mock argument," the bottle said playfully. "Though, it one  
didn't know any better, one would say that you're flirting," it added.  
Link and Zelda both glanced at each other, turned red, and went silent.  
The bottle laughed.  
  
While they ran along the twisting tunnel, Zelda quickly told Link about the  
Forest and what had happened to her after his kidnapping. When they  
finally reached the end of the tunnel, Zelda sighed in relief. However,  
when she opened the door, a dark hand darted through it and dragged her  
away. "Link!" she screamed as the door slammed shut. Link tried to open  
the door to go after her captor, but it wouldn't open.  
  
'Now, what do I do?! Zelda is being kidnapped and I can't open this door!  
What do I do now?!' Link thought. Suddenly, an idea came to mind and he  
pulled out a single bomb. 'This better work,' Link thought, lighting the  
fuse with a flint. He dropped the bomb next to the door and ran out of the  
way. The bomb blew open the door with tremendous force, spraying chips of  
stone everywhere.  
  
"Yes!" Link said, running through the doorway. "Well done, boy!" said a  
voice. Link looked up. He was outside of the fortress and the witch was  
standing on the top of one of the towers. Link felt his heart stop when he  
saw who she was restraining. Zelda's arms were behind her back, as if they  
were tied, and she was trying to break free from the witch.  
  
The witch laughed in her despicable way and said, "It seems I've captured a  
pretty prize here, don't you think?" Link glared at her angrily. "I  
wouldn't worry; your precious princess will come to no harm," the witch  
said.  
"You can have this! I have no more need of him!" She threw a glittering  
object down towards Link and he barely caught it. It was the bottle.  
"Meet me at the top of the highest tower at the center of my fortress!  
That is, if you ever want to see her again!" she laughed. "Don't fail my  
expectations, boy!" she added before she dissolved into black smoke.  
  
Tiana: Zelda's been kidnapped! Again! This isn't good!  
Sol: Is she gonna be okay? I mean, that mean old witch isn't going to hurt  
her, is she?  
Aria: Of course not! Zelda will be fine. The next chapter won't give any  
hints as to what's going on, but she'll be fine.  
Anri: What IS in the next chapter?  
Aria: Something that people have been asking about.  
Tiana: I'm drawing a blank here.  
Aria: Sorry, but I can't be any clearer than that. See you all soon! 


	41. Chapter 41: The Hero of Time's Tale

Aria: I told you we'd see you soon.  
Sol: Aria! There's a lady coming this way with a cat that has wings!  
*everybody looks and sees Nayru and Twister approaching*  
Aria: So, is Twister smart now?  
Nayru: See for yourself. *points to Twister*  
Twister: Hydrogen is the lightest of all the elements. There are seven  
kingdoms to living creatures. Geometry was first discovered by the Ancient  
Egyptians. Latin is the base language for French, Spanish, and English.  
Ancient Mesopotamia was located between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. .  
Aria: Okay! I think we've heard enough! He's smart! Make him stop  
babbling!  
Nayru: That's enough, Twister.  
Twister: Okay.  
Aria: Glad that's over. He was making me relive my eighth grade classes.  
*shivers*  
Tiana: But, you did so well! Why are you scared of them?  
Aria: You never went to my middle school. It's a nightmare in brick!  
Sol: Can a place really be that bad, Anri?  
Anri: We've never gone to school, Sol. I don't know.  
Kaepora: *groggily stumbles into area* Hic! How are all you ladies and  
boys doin'? Hic!  
Aria: Kaepora? Are you feeling all right?  
Kaepora: Hic! Never better! Hic! *falls flat on face*  
Aria: Where did he go and what happened to him?  
Tiana: He went to a bachelor party for a friend.  
Aria: No wonder he's as drunk as a lord. Somebody get him to his tree.  
He's gonna have a huge hangover when he wakes up.  
*Din grabs Kaepora and lugs him off to his tree*  
Sol: What's a hangover?  
Aria: Something you don't want to get, especially since you're underage.  
Sol: Whazzat mean? I thought you were fifteen.  
Aria: I am! I'm not allowed to drink either, but from what I've heard,  
hangovers are really nasty.  
Anri: But, if Kaepora is too drunk to do the disclaimers, who will do them?  
Sol: Ooh! Can I do the disclaimers? Pretty please?  
Aria: Sure!  
Sol: Cool! Aria Zephyr is the authoress and owner of this story! She does  
not own the Legend of Zelda games or anything about them!  
Aria: Good job! Here's a hint about this chapter! People have been asking  
what happened to the Hero of Time in my story, so this is his version of  
what happened to him. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 41: The Hero of Time's Tale  
  
"This certainly is a problem," the bottle muttered, "It seems you have no  
choice but to go after her." "Don't you think I've noticed?" Link moaned.  
"How am I supposed to get up there?" he said, staring up at the looming  
tower. "She really has no sort of real imagination at all. She's just  
copying her father by telling you to go to the highest tower," the bottle  
growled. "What?" Link asked, shocked. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you  
earlier, but I didn't think I had to; Natalia, the witch, is Ganondorf's  
daughter and, quite frankly, I'm not too fond of her," the bottle said.  
  
"You are very non-serious at times, you know?" Link said. "I'm sorry; just  
trying to lighten your mood. It's not exactly the best idea to go into  
battle angry," the bottle said. "It's okay. I get the idea. Thanks  
anyway," Link said.  
  
"I could help you, though. But, you'd have to break this blasted bottle  
first," it said. "How do I do that? It probably has a spell on it or  
something," Link said. "Not anymore. When she tossed this thing down to  
you, she revoked all shielding spells she had on it. Believe me, I know.  
I've been in this thing long enough to tell when there's magic on it or  
not," the bottle said.  
  
"It won't hurt you if I just smash it, will it?" Link asked. "Nope. I'm a  
spirit, like the princess was. Gosh, I've missed her. I haven't seen her  
since. . . since. . . " it trailed off.  
  
"Since what?" Link asked. The bottle said, "Well, you see there's this  
gateway thing here in the forest that leads to this Land of the Dead or  
something and there are three keys to open it. Each of them are shaped  
like triangles and they have a sort of design that represents the element  
that each of the three goddesses represent. Anyway, the princess got some  
help and they took out one of the keys to the gateway so that no one could  
get into wherever it led. She figured that it would be safest if it was  
kept with someone who could protect it and she gave it to me. Funny thing  
about that was, when the witch originally caught me, I didn't have it  
because I had given it to someone else."  
  
"And, that was?" Link asked. "This is really embarrassing, but he was my  
son," the bottle said. "I never knew that the Hero of Time had, um,  
children," Link said. "Yeah, well, I sort of settled down on the outskirts  
of Hyrule and changed my name and I only had one son, no one else. That  
was after I had heard that the princess had gotten married to some prince  
from another kingdom," the bottle explained.  
  
"Go on," Link said. "Well, this is even more embarrassing, but I had kinda  
had a thing for the princess for a while and hearing that she had gotten  
hitched to someone else hit me hard. Anyway, I met this nice girl in the  
village I was living in. To make a long story short, I married her and she  
died while having our son. You getting this?" the bottle asked. "Every  
word," Link said.  
  
The bottle continued, "I didn't let anyone know who I had been, not even my  
own son. Anyway, he had met the daughter of the owners of a dairy and  
horse farm that was near Hyrule Castle one time. He and that girl had a  
nice pen pal relationship and I trusted her parents, because her mother had  
been a friend of mine."  
  
"Anyway, when he was about twelve, I started hearing rumors about monsters  
appearing in the Sacred Wood. I knew something was wrong and when I found  
out what through certain sources, I had to go help. I took my son to the  
farm and made sure that his friend knew he was coming before we got there.  
I had changed my appearance some, so no one would really recognize me."  
  
"When we got to the farm, I talked with the girl's mother, her name was  
Malon, while the kids played with the horses. I knew I could trust Malon  
to keep a secret and I told her who I was. She was pretty surprised, but  
she understood why I wanted my identity a secret. I told her I was going  
to the Sacred Wood and the chances of me coming back were very slim. I  
asked her if she could take care of my son for me and she agreed."  
  
"After I ironed that wrinkle out, I had to talk to my son. I told him that  
I was going on a journey and I might not come back. He begged me not to  
go, but I stood firm and told him that I didn't have a choice. Then, I  
took out the medallion the princess had given me and showed it to him. I  
told him it was a very, very important object and he couldn't tell anyone  
except people he knew he could trust with his life about it. He promised  
not to tell anyone and I told him, that if I never came back, the medallion  
was supposed to be given to his oldest child when he or she was twelve too.  
He promised again and took the medallion."  
  
"Well, to wrap things up, the second I set foot inside the Sacred Wood,  
that witch pounced on me and captured me. She pretty much used the same  
tactic on me that she tried to use on you, minus that last one. Then, when  
she had brought her beloved daddy back, I wasn't of any use anymore and  
they got rid of me. Though, not entirely."  
  
"What you mean is, they trapped your spirit in that bottle and left you  
there," Link said. "Now, you're catching on. Yeah, that's exactly what  
they did and here I am! A talking bottle. Sad thing, don't you think?"  
the bottle said. "I find it more annoying than anything else, really,"  
Link said. "Yeah, well." the bottle said.  
  
"Hey, can I ask you something?" the bottle said. "Yeah, sure. What is  
it?" Link asked. "That girl-Princess Zelda-she called you Link, right?"  
the bottle asked. "Yeah, that is my name, after all," Link said. "I was  
just wondering," the bottle said.  
  
"Hey! Wait a second! I just remembered something!" Link said. "And, that  
is?" the bottle asked. "Just a second; I need to find something first,"  
Link said, pulling random items from his pockets. "Found it!" he said  
finally, holding up a somewhat crumpled letter. He quickly read it and  
smiled.  
  
"What are you so giddy about?" the bottle asked. "When I compared your  
story to the one my mother mentioned in this letter, there's a pretty good  
chance that you're my ancestor," Link replied. "Oh gosh! I never stopped  
to think about that! But, when you really think about it, it is very  
likely," the bottle said.  
  
"This is all really nice and everything, but I'd really appreciate getting  
out of this bottle," it said. "Oh! Sorry!" Link said, taking out his  
massive skull hammer. "You can actually lift that thing and use it? It  
must be really heavy," the bottle remarked. "It used to, but not so much  
anymore. I'm used to it," Link replied. "How is that possible?" the  
bottle asked. "Well, I've had to carry Zelda a few times and I don't mean  
to be rude or anything, but she's not exactly what you'd call extremely  
light," Link said.  
  
"You like her," the bottle teased. "What do you mean by that?" Link asked,  
starting to turn red. "Actually, judging by your reaction and how you were  
acting with her before, you love her," the bottle said. Now, Link was  
going scarlet.  
  
"I could leave you in there, you know," he said. "Alright; I get the  
message. I'll shut up now," the bottle said. "Fire when ready; or should  
I say, hammer when ready?" the bottle said. "I say, be quiet or I might  
miss," Link replied. "Shutting up," the bottle said.  
  
Link swung the hammer down upon the bottle and smashed it. Some dust flew  
up from the ground, but most of the bottle had been crushed to dust. Link  
pulled the hammer back and stowed it away again.  
  
"That's much better. Thank you," the voice said from Link's shoulder.  
Link looked at blinked in surprise to see a person who might have been an  
older version of himself there. "Um, you're welcome," he said, unable to  
say much else. The spirit smiled and said, "I kinda unnerve you, don't I?  
I have to be honest, myself. When I saw you the first time, I had to take  
a double-take just to see if you were real."  
  
"What can I call you? For now, at least," Link asked. "Um, wow! I didn't  
think about that. Give me a minute," the spirit said. After a while, he  
said, "I guess you can just call me 'Hero' or something. If you called me  
by my name, I'd bet we'd feel sort of uncomfortable about that." "You're  
right. It'd feel strange," Link admitted.  
  
"Anyway, we should get going now. You still have to save that girl of  
yours," Hero said, smiling roguishly as he headed for the hallway that they  
had escaped the dungeons in. "SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Link yelled after  
him. "Sure. I so believe you," the hero said, his tone of voice saying  
otherwise. Link rolled his eyes and followed him in, with the hero  
laughing slightly at his obvious blush.  
  
Tiana: Hehehe! Link is embarrassed!  
Anri: We ALL know he likes her more than he says!  
Aria: I'm so mischievous about this kind of thing sometimes! I love it!  
Sol: Anri, what are you all talking about?  
Anri: If I told you, you'd get grossed out, Sol.  
Sol: Huh?  
Anri: *whispers into his ear*  
Sol: Eeeeewwwww!  
Anri: I warned you.  
Nayru: Highly interesting tale, Aria.  
Aria: Thank you. It's something that I just spun up out of my imagination.  
Din: *pokes unconscious Kaepora* He's still out like a light. And, he  
smells weird.  
Farore: Then, come over here where it smells like dewdrops and rain.  
Aria: Okay. That's it for now! We'll see you all in the next update!  
Until then, read and review! Bye! 


	42. Chapter 42: Atop the Tower

Din: *snickers* Anri, your real name is Anarina?!  
Aria: How do you know that?! *taps foot*  
Din: Uhhhhh. . .  
Tiana: I saw her reading your reviews.  
Din: Tiana! You're being a tattletale!  
Aria: Correction! That is null because you shouldn't be teasing Anri  
anyway!  
Din: Uh, you're not gonna zap me, are you?  
Aria: Go do something constructive and I might not be tempted to.  
Din: Going! *runs*  
Aria: She is very annoying sometimes.  
Twister: It's in her nature.  
Kaepora: Hic! You're a beautiful audience, really! Hic!  
Everyone: *sweat drops*  
Aria: Uh, he's still very drunk.  
Tiana: Yeah, he's been having weird dreams all day. It's freaking me out!  
Farore: Can't you do something about it, Aria?  
Aria: Sorry, but curing alcoholism isn't my thing.  
Anri: Would you like Sol to do the disclaimers again?  
Aria: Yes, PLEASE!  
Anri: Sol! We need your help!  
Sol: *appears in puff of yellow smoke* Hi everybody! What's up?  
Goddesses: KAEPORA'S STILL DRUNK!  
Sol: Who?  
Anri: The scary owl thing.  
Sol: Oh. Do I get to do the disclaimers?  
Aria: Yes.  
Sol: Whee! Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their  
characters, and etc. She is the authoress of the story and certain  
original things belong to her.  
Aria: Thanks.  
Sol: You're welcome! See ya! *disappears*  
Aria: Guess what? I updated my reference page and there's a more detailed  
summary for the story there! Also, at the end of this chapter, I've got to  
ask an opinion on my idea for my next story. It's kinda silly, but I like  
it. Sorry to have tortured you all with keeping you waiting! You're all  
gonna hate me when this chapter is over, though. On with the story!  
  
Chapter 42: Atop the Tower  
  
Meanwhile, Zelda was being held at the top of the tower the witch had  
described. "He will come for me, you know. And, he won't lose to you,"  
she said defiantly to the witch. "I very much doubt that, royal wench,"  
the witch replied, sharpening the blade of a blackened dagger.  
  
"And, why do you think that?" Zelda demanded. "Because, he does not hold  
the Blade that can repel Evil, nor does he have a chance against me," the  
witch said. "Also, my dear, I doubt that he would wish any harm to come to  
you," she added. "You said you wouldn't do that," Zelda said. "I did, but  
who is to make me hold that promise during a battle?" the witch said.  
  
"What do you want?" Zelda challenged. "Revenge and what should rightfully  
be mine in the first place," the witch replied. Then, she smiled. "Part  
of my revenge is to destroy all the remainders of those who stood against  
my father and you, because you are descended from the original Princess  
Zelda, are to be destroyed," the witch said.  
  
"I'm not scared of you," Zelda said. "Humph! That boy said the exact same  
thing before I cast the Spell of the Dark Void over him. The scream he  
gave was such lovely music," the witch said, her voice poisonous. "You are  
a cruel and vicious person, you know!" Zelda snapped angrily. "Thank you  
for the compliment," the witch said, unfazed. Zelda glared at her for a  
moment before looking away.  
  
"You know, if that boy doesn't come soon, I may just be tempted to kill you  
right now," the witch said suddenly. "You wouldn't dare," Zelda said. "Oh  
do I, Princess? You don't have your precious shield to protect you  
anymore," the witch said, showing her the blue orb.  
  
"Give it back!" Zelda cried. The witch redrew her hand and slipped the orb  
into a pocket. "I don't think so. And, even if your friend does come, he  
doesn't have his little magic crystal either," the witch said, casually  
tossing a magenta crystal.  
  
"You are such a heartless creature! Link will rescue me and he will defeat  
you!" Zelda stated. "Perhaps, Princess, you should worry more about what I  
can do to you than you are about whether I can take your friend on or not,"  
the witch said, catching Zelda by the collar of her dress and holding the  
dagger to her throat.  
  
"I really wouldn't do that if I were you, Natalia," a male voice said from  
behind. The witch let go of Zelda and turned around. Link and a spirit  
were standing there. "So, you're free," the witch said to the spirit,  
"That's no matter anymore. You can't save them from me; you are no longer  
physical."  
  
The spirit looked pained, but Link said, "Ignore her. She's just blowing  
hot air." "Oh, am I, Hero of Winds? I have two pieces of the Triforce now  
and you don't even have one," the witch said. "Are you really so sure  
about that?" Link asked, holding up his left hand and showing the back to  
her.  
  
The symbol of the Triforce glowed there and the lower left one was  
flashing. A sharp intake of breath hissed when the witch saw it. "The  
Triforce of Courage! But, how did I not sense it before?" she muttered to  
herself.  
  
"That's because you didn't know anything about how the Triforce affects its  
former bearers," the spirit said, "The pieces give the former bearers the  
ability to mask the presence of the Triforce whenever they are in their  
current bearers." "In other words, both I and the princess were able to  
hide the pieces from you by just being near these children," he finished.  
  
"You will regret this! But, first, let's see how strong these brats are!"  
the witch said, jerking Zelda off the ground and shoving her towards Link.  
Link caught her and held her as the witch unleashed a strong bit of magic.  
  
The sky above them darkened and filled with black clouds that roared with  
lightning. And, the witch herself began to glow with a fierce dark energy.  
Link untied Zelda's hands and they watched as the witch grew more  
dangerous with every second.  
  
"She was right in the beginning, though," the spirit said, "I really can't  
help you defeat her. You'll have to figure it out yourselves I'm afraid."  
"That's okay! We'll think of something!" Link hollered as the wind began  
to shriek.  
  
"Now what do we do?" Zelda yelled. "Run!" Link cried, pushing her away as  
the witch fired a blast of magic at them. "You were fools to challenge  
me!" the witch shouted, "Now you shall pay for your insolence and that of  
your ancestors!"  
  
The fight wasn't at all evenly matched; the witch kept firing magic blasts  
at Link and Zelda, not giving them a single chance to fight back. Once,  
Link and Zelda separated to avoid being hit by two attacks that zoned in on  
them like guided missiles. Noticing this, the witch smiled and planned a  
most horrible scheme.  
  
The witch used her magic and, suddenly, Zelda tripped and couldn't move as  
a set of magical cords wrapped themselves around her. She glanced at the  
witch, who was readying a powerful attack, wishing to finish Zelda off in  
one blow.  
  
"LINK!" Zelda cried in panic. Link turned and saw what was happening and  
ran to Zelda. "NOW, DIE!" the witch shouted and she released the attack.  
Zelda closed her eyes in defeat, knowing she couldn't get away in time.  
'Don't forget me, ever, Link,' she thought as the blast of red and black  
approached and Zelda felt all hope slipping away.  
  
Farore: THAT'S IT?!  
Aria: Don't yell! We're all gonna go deaf one day!  
Farore: That can't be it! Zelda's gonna die?! What do you think you're  
doing, Aria?!  
Aria: Playing with all of you.  
Farore: o_0!  
Tiana: Please say you're not serious about leaving us all here!  
Aria: Sorry but there are at most only four more chapters to the story.  
Either I stretch it out, or this ends tomorrow.  
Anri: Lady Aria, you're not serious!  
Aria: Unfortunately, yes.  
Twister: But, don't you have relatives coming to your house tomorrow?  
Aria: o_0! I FORGOT! But, I don't want to end this so soon!  
Anri: It seems you have a decision: either you put up two chapters today  
and the rest tomorrow and finish the story, or you stretch it out.  
Tiana: But, weren't you planning a last chapter to thank all of the  
reviewers and record their most memorable reviews?  
Aria: I was! Thanks! Alright! Two chapters today!  
Nayru: What about that idea you've been kicking around?  
Aria: Oh, yeah. That. Well, this may be so cliché, but what does everyone  
think of me writing a Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker version of Sleeping  
Beauty?  
Din: Lemme guess who the hero and heroine are.  
Aria: Don't tell them! Anyway, because of persuasion, the next chapter  
will also be posted. I'm warning you, it's a doozy! See ya'll then!  
Twister: What's up with the southern accent? You live in Virginia!  
Aria: o_0! 


	43. Chapter 43: Stronger than Power

Aria: Sorry I made you dangle for a minute! I was unsure, but it'll be  
more of a hit with the previous chapter.  
Tiana: *looks at second paragraph* Oh boy! Wait until they read this!  
Anri: I know that Kaepora is still. . . unavailable, but I really don't  
think we should bring Sol here now.  
Aria: I agree. The romance would make him gag. o_0! Did I just say that  
out loud?  
Tiana: Yup.  
Aria: Oops!  
Farore: Can I do the disclaimers? No one else will.  
Aria: Knock yourself out.  
Farore: Goody! Aria Zephyr is the authoress and owner of this story, but  
she does not own the Legend of Zelda games and things in that context!  
Aria: You are WAY too perky some days.  
Farore: Thank you!  
Aria: *sweat drops* Riiiggghttt. Okaaaaayyyy. I'm scared now.  
Anri: It could be worse, Lady Aria. I don't think I need to say WHAT would  
be worse, though.  
Aria: You don't! I know what you mean! Moving on! Zelda ain't gonna die!  
There! I said it!  
Din: Then, how is she not? She can't move, remember?  
Aria: Remember who else is there? You know; the person who cares about  
her.  
Din: Oh. What am I saying?! Duh!  
Aria: Let's get back to the battle scene.  
  
Chapter 43: Stronger than Power  
  
Just as the attack was about to strike her, Link dove in at the last second  
and took the blow himself. Both of them were flung back from the force of  
the blow. The magical cords melted away from Zelda and she was able to  
move again. When she turned and saw Link lying not far from her, she  
realized what he had done and rushed to him.  
  
"Link!" she cried, brushing hair from his eyes as tears began to fall.  
"Are you all right?" Link asked softly, opening his eyes. Zelda nodded and  
said, "Why? Why did you do that for me? You could die, Link!" He managed  
a weak smile and said, "Because, when I saw her going to attack you, I  
realized something I'd been trying to deny." "What's that?" Zelda asked.  
"I love you, Zelda," he whispered. Zelda gasped, but her surprise faded  
when the witch started to laugh.  
  
"Oh, now this is too good! He saved her and he'll die because he loves  
her!" she laughed, her voice becoming more and more callous. Zelda  
flinched, but tried to ignore the witch's mockery. She looked back at  
Link, who was struggling to get up.  
  
"Don't," she said, pushing him back down, "You can't fight her; you just  
don't have the energy." She started to pull her hands back, but Link  
caught one. "Zelda, you did hear me, didn't you?" he asked. "Yes," she  
whispered. Her eyes filled with tears again and she looked into his face.  
"Link, why didn't you tell me that earlier? Oh, Link! I feel the same  
way! I love you!" she said. The witch's voice laughed again, but this  
time, it was closer. Zelda looked and the witch was practically right  
behind her.  
  
"What a lovely tragedy this is! I can see the ending right now!" she said,  
her eyes flashing, "And, together, the Princess and her Hero died!" She  
threw her head back and laughed again.  
  
"We're not dying anytime soon," Link said, getting slowly to his feet. He  
stumbled and Zelda rose to support him. "If you're thinking that we're  
going to die this way, you've got another thing coming!" he said, his eyes  
showing that he was still defiant. "And, you think you can defeat me as  
you are? Be serious; you can hardly stand, much less fight, boy," the  
witch said.  
  
Zelda put his left arm around her shoulder and he was able to stand a  
little higher. "We haven't given up yet and we're not going to die, so you  
can wipe that smirk off your face!" Zelda said to the witch. "And, how do  
you expect to beat me? With a few fireballs and a silly emotion called  
'love'? If you think that, you are the biggest fools ever!" the witch  
said.  
  
She raised her hand, gathering a ball of energy in it to finish them off  
for good. "I hope enjoy death together, because, I assure you that it is  
very permanent!" she said, releasing the ball.  
  
Though she was only less than seven feet away from them, and though they  
had no sort of magic to protect them, when the ball was only inches away  
from Link and Zelda, it struck something and dissolved.  
  
"WHAT?! HOW DID MY MAGIC JUST DISAPPEAR?!" the witch roared in outrage.  
Snarling, she pulled her dagger out and rushed towards them. Just like the  
magic, she hit a barrier and was thrown back.  
  
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?! WHY CAN'T I DESTROY THEM?! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"  
she yelled in frustration. "You only think that because you have power,"  
the spirit said, his face unusually severe. "Those two have something that  
is stronger than any magic or weapon you could ever have. They have  
something that is stronger than all the power you have," he said.  
  
"They have True Love," he said. The witch glared at him, but her anger  
turned to shock when she saw a golden light out of the corner of her eye.  
She looked and both Link and Zelda were glowing. They no longer looked  
exhausted and care-worn; they stood, neither needing the strength of the  
other to stand.  
  
"What? What is this? What is this magic, this strange force?" the witch  
said. "It looks like we've discovered the answer to your ancestor's  
riddle," Link said to Zelda, smiling at her. She nodded and held out her  
right hand for him. He took her hand and the glow emanating from them  
brightened.  
  
The sun was rising from the east and the clouds were beginning to fade.  
"Your curse is ended, Natalia! The sun is rising above the Sacred Wood  
again and you cannot stop it! Just like you cannot destroy the bond that  
they share!" the spirit said, his own outline beginning to fade in the  
sunlight.  
  
The sunshine began to touch the top of the tower and shafts of light were  
shining through the witch's body. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! NOW I SHALL NEVER  
BE ABLE TO FULFILL MY REVENGE!!!!!" the witch screamed as more light shone  
through her, dissolving her form. Finally, with a burst of fiery sparkles,  
she disintegrated.  
  
A blast of strong wind accompanied the sparkles and it shoved Link and  
Zelda back. It, however, dissipated quickly and when they looked up, the  
piece of the Triforce of Power hung in midair where the witch had been. It  
was glowing and, soon, Link and Zelda's clasped hands were glowing as well.  
They let go of their hands and the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of  
Courage joined the other piece.  
  
"I never thought I'd see this occurrence again," the spirit said softly.  
He turned to Link and Zelda and said, "It's waiting for you. It is waiting  
for a wish." "But, we really don't have anything we could want for  
ourselves," Link said. He looked at Zelda and said, "All I've really  
wanted for a while was for Zelda to feel the same way about me that I do  
about her." "I feel the same way," Zelda said.  
  
The spirit smiled happily at them. "Then, perhaps you could do something  
for this island? It used to be a beautiful valley before the witch came  
and it really should be that way again," he said. Link and Zelda both  
exchanged glances and they smiled.  
  
"That would be interesting," Link said. "And, I'll bet that the goddesses  
are just wriggling to redo their garden again," Zelda added playfully.  
"Then, ask," the spirit said, moving aside. They hesitated slightly.  
"Let's ask, together," Link said, offering his hand to Zelda. She nodded,  
took his hand, and said, "Let's."  
  
They approached the glowing golden triangle. They both put their free  
hands on the Triforce and Zelda said, "Please, this forest has suffered so  
much over time, will you restore it to the place it once was?" "And,  
please try to make it harder for people to find the gateway?" Link added.  
  
The Triforce was still for a second; then, it glowed and vanished. The  
ground began to shake and ripple as the Triforce began to take effect. The  
tower Link and Zelda were standing on was quaking and stones from it were  
falling out. Just as their foothold collapsed beneath them, their world  
went dark and they fell into unconsciousness.  
  
Tiana: What happens next? I must know!  
Aria: You gotta wait until the next chapter.  
Tiana: Awww. . .  
Din: I can't believe they finally admitted that! Wow!  
Aria: Hey, when you have few chances of living and the person you care the  
world about is right there, you say things.  
Farore: How do you know that?  
Aria: I'm a freaking romance writer! What do you expect?!  
Nayru: They were right, you know. We do want to remodel our garden.  
Aria: Then, what the heck are you doing here?! Get a move on! You only  
have one day!  
Goddesses: *turn, bump into each other, and fall down in heap*  
Aria: *sweat drops*I didn't say knock each other senseless.  
Goddesses: *Nayru's foot twitches, Farore's eyes are spirally, and Din is  
at the bottom*  
Aria: Oh brother. . . We have to straighten them out now. Anri, you can  
take a break now. Twister and Tiana can help me. All we need to do is  
pour icy water on them.  
Anri: May I ask where you will get enough icy water to wake them up, Lady  
Aria?  
Aria: Oh, I have an idea. Now, go visit your brother and master.  
Anri: Yes, ma'am. *leaves*  
Twister: If I know you, which I do, you're thinking we should get some ice  
water from Ice Ring Island.  
Aria: *smiles sweetly* How did you guess?  
Tiana: C'mon, Twister. Let's go get the super bucket. *flies away with  
Twister following*  
Aria: That's it until next time! Until we meet again, read and review!  
Good-bye! 


	44. Chapter 44: A Lingering Farewell from So...

Tiana: Aria's upset because these are the last real parts of the story. I  
am too. I'll miss everybody, but I'm Aria's personal fairy, so I'll stay  
with her.  
Aria: *in background* Waaaaaaahhhhhhh! I loved writing this story! I  
can't believe it's over already!  
Din: Oh, suck it up, you stupid spirit mage!  
Aria: Who told her what I am?! That's a secret! Like my name!  
Nayru: You mean the fact that your REAL name is Julie Anna?  
Aria: Stop it! Where are you learning my secrets from?!  
*everybody looks at Nayru*  
Nayru: *shifts uncomfortably* What?  
Aria: Memo to self: do something very embarrassing to Nayru.  
Anri: It's not that bad, Lady Aria. After all, you are named after your  
maternal great-grandmother.  
Aria: No offense, but that's not the point! I like being called Aria.  
Anyway, at least Nayru doesn't know my last name.  
Twister: Oh, but she's been trying to, mistress! It's a good thing you  
keep passwords on the files that you've signed.  
Tiana: Please cheer up, Aria! This is probably the sweetest chapter you've  
written!  
Aria: I suppose so.  
Farore: Does anyone know what happened to Kaepora?  
Tiana: Aria sent him back to his normal place so that he doesn't have to  
deal with us girls anymore OR Twister the genius kitty.  
Aria: Twister the genius kitty! *laughs* Where'd you come up with that  
nickname?  
Tiana: Poetic wit.  
Aria: Cool.  
Anri: Should I call Sol here so he can do the disclaimers? Or do you want  
to preserve his innocent mind?  
Aria: Nothing dirty happens! Just a pair of kissing scenes. But, if you  
think he'll get grossed out anyway, I'm sure some other goofball here will  
do it.  
Tiana: He won't see anything. Those parts are over eight paragraphs away.  
Anri: Okay. Sol, we could use your help!  
Sol: *appears* Hi! Disclaimers again?  
Tiana: Yup.  
Sol: Okay! Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games, their  
characters, and things like that, but she does own this story and she is  
the authoress. That's everything! I have to go practice my magic, so see  
ya! *disappears*  
Tiana: He's in a hurry.  
Aria: That's okay. Anyway, like we've been hinting, there are two short  
kissing scenes ahead. Onward and forward!  
  
Chapter 44: A Lingering Farewell from Some Old Friends  
  
A warm, welcoming breeze blew through the elegant, giant trees whose leafy  
tops rose high into the air. The smell of blooming flowers tinged the air.  
The soft calls of birds swept sweetly through the forest. Small creatures  
scurried from one tree to another.  
  
At the foot of the tallest tree at the center of the forest, two figures  
lay side by side, fast asleep. If any of the squirrels running about had  
noticed them, it wouldn't have paid much attention to them.  
  
A soft blue butterfly was flitting through the air, its powder blue wings  
silent. It landed softly on the cheek of the girl, tickling her. "That  
tickles," she murmured in her sleep, startling the butterfly away from her.  
It took flight again, but only for a short time; it landed on the boy's  
nose. "Achoo!" he sneezed, fully scaring the butterfly away, but also  
waking the girl up.  
  
"Wha-what happened?" Zelda mumbled sleepily. She blinked and yawned.  
Fully awake, she looked around and was stunned to see the forest around  
her. "Link, Link, wake up!" she said, shaking him. "You've got to see  
this!" she said.  
  
"Five more minutes." he mumbled. "Link, get up now or I'll put a bug down  
your back," Zelda said. "Ugh.What's the matter?" Link asked, rubbing his  
eyes to get the sleep out. "Look for yourself," she said, gesturing around  
her. Link looked and his eyes widened when he did.  
  
"Is this-is this what the Forgotten Forest really looks like?" he asked in  
astonishment. "But, of course!" said a familiar voice to their left, "This  
is what your wish did." Both Link and Zelda turned and saw the princess,  
sitting calmly on a stone, the hero next to her.  
  
"You're back? But, didn't you.?" Zelda asked. The princess smiled and  
said, "That was yesterday and, now that the witch's influence is gone, I  
didn't need as much time as I did." "I suppose that's the same for you?"  
Link asked the hero. "Somewhat. I can at least go to my final rest now  
that the curse I was under is gone," he replied. "That's good," Zelda  
said, "But, what are you two doing here?"  
  
The hero smiled and said, "We both wanted to say farewell to you two.  
Also, we wanted to tell you that the demigods made it out of here safely.  
But, when we found you here, but you two looked so cute asleep together  
like that, we couldn't wake you up. So, we spent some time catching up  
together." Link and Zelda looked at each other and turned red from  
embarrassment.  
  
"You know, you really can't blush every time you two get caught in a  
situation that involves your relationship anymore. Especially not after  
you told each other that you love each other," the princess said roguishly.  
"It's not like we've kissed or anything yet," Zelda said, turning redder  
as she said it. "And, why not?" the hero asked. Now, they both turned  
extremely red.  
  
"Um, well, it's not like it would have been appropriate with the witch  
yelling at us and all," Link said. "I understand that, but she IS gone  
now," the princess said, smiling impishly. "Are you two really just here  
so that you can say good-bye, or are you here to see Link and me kiss?"  
Zelda asked. Both the princess and the hero said, "Both," and laughed.  
Zelda sighed and shook her head.  
  
Just as Link was about to say something, Zelda said, "Fine! Have it your  
way!" Then, she grabbed Link by the front of his tunic and kissed him on  
the lips. Both the princess and the hero immediately started laughing.  
  
When Zelda pulled back and let go of Link's tunic, he was wearing a look of  
intense shock. "What?" Zelda asked, smiling at his look. "That was." he  
said, unable to come up with anything else.  
  
"Was what?" Zelda asked. "The most brazen thing that you've ever done to  
me in a romantic way!" Link said. "Do you have a problem with that?" Zelda  
asked, putting her head slightly to the side. "Not really," he said,  
"But." Now, he leaned forward and kissed HER on the lips. The couple on  
the stone's laughter doubled.  
  
Now, when he pulled away, Zelda had a look of shock on her face. He  
grinned and said, "Surprised?" Zelda managed a nod. Finally, the princess  
and the hero were getting over their laughter, but the princess still had a  
case of giggles.  
  
"I must agree with my descendant; that was rather forward of you,  
princess," the hero said. "You two were being pests so I had to do  
something," Zelda replied. "Is that why you kissed me?" Link asked, giving  
her a fake expression of hurt. "Of course not! I love you! They only had  
influence. I would have kissed you eventually, whether they were being  
pests or not," Zelda said, trying to undo any rift she may have caused.  
  
"It's okay, really. I was just checking. Anyway," he said, "I liked it."  
Zelda blushed again. "I think we can call this mission accomplished," the  
hero said, smiling at his companion. She suppressed an oncoming giggle and  
said, "Indeed."  
  
They both turned to Link and Zelda and said, "Thank you for defeating the  
witch and undoing the harms she did to the Sacred Wood and to others." "I,  
especially, appreciate it," the hero said. "If you two hadn't showed up  
here, I probably would have stayed in that bottle until the end of time,"  
he said.  
  
"And, I appreciate knowing what happened to my goofy Link here," the  
princess said, shoving said hero playfully. "Right back at you, Princess  
Zelda," he said.  
  
"This is probably the silliest situation in time! There are two Zeldas and  
two Links here and nobody cares!" Link said suddenly. They all paused for  
a moment, before they all burst out laughing. "I never really thought  
about that until now," Zelda said. "Speaking of time, Zelda, do you still  
have what you took back from the witch?" the princess asked. "Oh, wait! I  
do!" Zelda said, taking the ocarina out.  
  
When he saw it, the hero smiled appreciatively. "The Ocarina of Time; it's  
exactly the way it was in the old days," he said. "The witch had it?  
Why'd she want that?" Link asked. "It was a treasure of the Hyrulean royal  
family. When you play specific songs on it, different things can happen,"  
the princess said.  
  
"That's partially why she snatched the thing," the hero said, "She mostly  
wanted it so that she could say she stole a major treasure of the Hyrulean  
royal family and got away with it." "That witch was awfully conceited,"  
Zelda said. "Try listening to her for a thousand plus years," the hero  
said.  
  
Zelda imagined it and shuddered. The princess interrupted and said, "It  
seems we're running low on time now. We must say our farewells now or we  
won't be able to later." She turned to Zelda and Link and curtsied  
regally.  
  
"I am glad I was able to meet you both while I was able. And, I am proud  
of you both," she said. "Same here. I'm glad that both my and Zelda's  
descendants are such great people," the hero added. Their forms began to  
fade and they said, "We'll always be watching over you! Good-bye until we  
meet again!" They faded away and were gone.  
  
Aria: Don't you just love it when they tease each other like that?  
Tiana: Yup! *suddenly remembers something* Anri! When the story ends,  
you'll be leaving us!  
Anri: I wouldn't worry about that. My master says I can continue to help  
Lady Aria in future stories.  
Tiana: Wow! Really? That's great! Now, I won't have to talk to Twister  
out of boredom when Aria isn't around or is possessing somebody.  
Aria: Speaking of which. . . *fades and vanishes*  
Din: Uh-oh. Why do I feel like she's planning to get sweet revenge?  
Nayru: I don't know. Hey, I feel funny.  
*everyone edges away from Nayru*  
Nayru: YAH! *starts dancing around like a maniac*  
Tiana: Well, we know what Aria's doing.  
Nayru: Make. . . her. . . stop!  
Twister: Sorry, but we can't. She's a spirit mage and she's an authoress.  
She can do whatever she likes.  
Nayru: *stops dancing*  
Aria: *reappears* Don't ever underestimate the power of a spirit mage.  
Anri: After that, Lady Aria, I don't think we could.  
Farore: Why are you a spirit mage?  
Aria: Well, I have the personality of a spirit mage. They're normally have  
a sharp know-how of the human nature, are slow to act and, sometimes, to  
speak, and because of their observations, they have a better knowledge of  
motives and emotions than most others. That's the good qualities. The bad  
things they have are that, though they understand others, no one seems to  
understand them in the same way; they feel like an ear to the world, they  
tend to bottle their emotions, for fear of being misunderstood. I got all  
that off a personality quiz on a place called mutedfaith.com.  
Everyone: *eyes are all bugged out*  
Aria: What?  
Nayru: So, what you're saying is, that if you wanted to, you could  
instantly be a spirit mage here?  
Aria: Uh, duh! I am a spirit mage here! I just have the addition of my  
authoress powers.  
Everyone: *looks at her blankly*  
Aria: I can see this isn't making any difference. Okay, this is the second  
to last chapter! Last one coming right up! 


	45. Chapter 45: Setting Sail, At Last

Aria: This is the LAST CHAPTER, folks! I can hardly believe I'm going to  
say good-bye! I'll miss all of my most loyal reviewers!  
Din: Hey, we'll be rid of you, won't we?  
Aria: Not yet, missy prissy, so watch it until I'm fully gone. Anyway, did  
anyone like the scene last time? There's another, even sweeter scene  
coming up near the end. I hope you like this one. You know the disclaimer  
drill: I don't own the Legend of Zelda games or anything like that, but I  
own the story. Read please.  
  
Chapter 45: Setting Sail, At Last  
  
After Zelda had complained about still being her and not being able to go  
back to being Tetra, a curious forest fairy luckily found them and told her  
how to change back. "Come on! Let's go! I've had my fill of this place!"  
Tetra said, grabbing Link's wrist. She pulled him through the forest,  
following the fairy's advice. Soon, they could smell the scent of the  
ocean. They stopped for a moment and Link heard something.  
  
"Can you hear that?" he asked. "Hear what?" Tetra asked. "Those voice; it  
sounds like someone yelling," Link said. "Does it sound like that fairy we  
met? It might be more of them," she said. "No, it sounds like people," he  
said. They exchanged glances and Tetra said, "I'll bet I know who they  
are." "The pirates!" they said in unison.  
  
They both walked in the direction of the voices and the calls became more  
defined. "Miss Tetra! Link! Where are you?!" one of the pirates was  
yelling. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" another said. "Niko,"  
Link muttered under his breath.  
  
The light at the end of the forest was getting brighter and when Link and  
Tetra stepped out of the forest, they were nearly blinded by the amount of  
sunlight. When they could see again, they saw a very worried-looking Gonzo  
standing on the beach and Niko standing right next to him.  
  
"Where do ya think they could've gotten to?" Gonzo asked Niko. "I dunno!  
All we found was the boat. Maybe some monsters found 'em," Niko said.  
"Why don't you actually find some evidence of our demise before you start  
making out death certificates?" Tetra said, stepping into their view.  
  
"MISS TETRA! Where have you two been? It's been days!" Gonzo said,  
looking relieved. "We've been on this island, Gonzo. It's not like we can  
fly, you know," Tetra said. "I know, but you were gone so long that all of  
us started to worry about what might have happened," Gonzo replied. "We're  
fine! Really! See?" Link said.  
  
Gonzo nodded and said, "I'd better go round everyone else up and tell them  
that you're back and you're all right, shouldn't I?" "Yes, please!" Tetra  
said and he started running down the beach.  
  
"I swear, they overreact too much," Tetra said, shaking her head. "You  
can't really blame them. We were gone for nearly three days," Link said.  
She grinned and said, "Can you imagine the looks on their faces if we told  
them about what really happened to us?" "They'd freak and their eyes would  
pop out of their heads!" Link said. "Hoy! Miss Tetra! Link! You're  
back!" a chorus of voices said and Link and Tetra stopped talking to greet  
the relieved pirates.  
  
"Okay, okay, okay! Enough with the sentimental 'I'm glad you're alive'  
stuff! Get back on the ship and start getting ready to set sail!" Tetra  
said eventually. "Yes, ma'am!" her crew chorused and they all started for  
the row boat.  
  
"Now, we're never gonna get another private moment with them around," Tetra  
said. "It could be worse," Link said sympathetically, putting a hand on  
her shoulder. Tetra looked at him and kissed him on the cheek. "You're  
really sweet sometimes," she said. Link had a hand on his cheek, but he  
raised an eyebrow quizzically and said, "Is that it?" She laughed and  
hugged him.  
  
"You've gotten taller than me, you know that?" she said, putting her arms  
around his neck. "It has been about three years since I met you," Link  
said, encircling her waist with his arms. "I still clearly remember saving  
your skin on Outset by grabbing your hand when you fell off the cliff,  
trying to do something about that bird kidnapping your sister," she said,  
smiling. "And, I remember having to save you from the monsters in the  
Forest of Fairies before that happened," he countered.  
  
"You are the only person who stands up to me and gets away with it, you  
know that?" Tetra asked. "If I didn't, then how do I know what to say that  
won't get you mad at me?" Link replied rhetorically.  
  
She looked lost in thought for a moment, as if trying to recall something.  
"Is something wrong?" Link asked. "When we were in the spell that the  
witch cast on you, I remember seeing some of the memories she was trying to  
use against you," she said. "I remember that. Why are you bringing it  
up?" he asked.  
  
She hesitated before saying, "Well.there was an image of me as Zelda  
disappearing and I just wanted to know that if anything happened to me."  
"Oh, that? Well, to tell you the truth that was actually a trick that  
Ganondorf played on me when I came back to Hyrule with the Triforce of  
Courage and the restored Master Sword. He sent these two monsters down to  
fight me and I think I might have been a tad angry at the time," he said.  
  
"Lemme guess; you beat them into a pulp," Tetra said. "Actually, it was  
more of a puree, but you've got the general idea," Link said. "So, what  
you meant was, if anything happened to me, you'd probably freak, right?"  
she asked. "If you mean I'd totally wig out and worry myself into a fit  
about you, then yes," he replied, smiling. "You're not being serious about  
this," she scolded. "I meant what I said, even if my tone was playful," he  
replied.  
  
He was avoiding eye contact with her and Tetra noticed this. "What?  
What's the matter? Why are you avoiding my eyes?" she asked. Link turned  
slightly pink and said, "Well.when I look into your eyes, I start thinking  
about how beautiful you are and." "So, you think I'm beautiful? Link, for  
a sentimental silly like you, that's very sweet," she said.  
  
"I thought you hated it when I got sentimental," he said, reminding her of  
when she was taking him to the Forsaken Fortress for the first time. "I  
only hate it when it's unnecessary," she said, stealing a glance at his  
eyes.  
  
'Gods, he's handsome! Why am I thinking like this? I already told him I  
love him,' she thought. "What?" Link asked. Tetra was startled out of her  
thoughts and she looked back at him again. "Do I really need to say? It's  
obvious what I was thinking about, judging by the look on your face," she  
said.  
  
She dropped her arms to encircle his torso and she hugged him. "Link, do  
you even realize what was going through my mind when I realized that you  
had taken that attack to save me?" she asked. "I imagine that you  
panicked. I know I was when I saw you tied up," he replied.  
  
"No, really. Link, when that happened, one of the things that hit me most  
was the fact that I might never be able to tell you how special you are to  
me," she said, looking straight into his eyes. He was looking at her with  
such a loving expression, one that was so sweet and tender.  
  
Throwing her better judgment to the wind, Tetra stood up on her toes and  
kissed him. She felt her heart race when they connected, but now, when he  
returned the kiss with the same amount of, if not more, love, it raced  
quicker.  
  
About a half minute after the kiss began, a raucous laugh rose from the  
deck of the pirate ship. Link and Tetra broke away to see the grinning  
face of Niko looking at them from over the rail. "Hey, I didn't know you  
liked her that much, Link!" he called down to them. Thoroughly  
embarrassed, Link turned red. "Niko, say another word, and you're fish  
bait!" Tetra threatened, annoyed that he had broken up the moment.  
  
Unfortunately, the other pirates had heard and they were coming above decks  
to see what was happening. "What's going on?" Senza asked, looking  
curiously at Niko, who was gripping the railing in order to stand because  
of his laughter. "Those two were. . . smooching on the beach!" Niko said,  
lapsing into laughter again.  
  
"This is not good," Link whispered to Tetra, pulling the edge of his cap  
down more over his face. "I could threaten to make them do swabbie work  
for a while if they say anything, but they'll still tease you," Tetra said  
sympathetically. "Let's just get back to the ship; I think I'm embarrassed  
enough as it is," Link said, "That was a personal moment and Niko just had  
to mess it up!"  
  
"I'll put a crab in his shorts if you like," Tetra offered. "Itching  
powder would be more appropriate; it's worse," Link said. "We'll plan how  
to get back at him later. Let's hurry before Niko has a chance to start  
singing that really annoying song," Tetra said. "You mean the kissing in a  
tree one?" Link said. "Don't say that! It's so annoying!" Tetra said.  
"Sorry," Link apologized. "Let's just hurry," Tetra said.  
  
They found the red lion boat and pushed it into the water. As they were  
sailing back to the ship, they heard Niko's off-key voice singing, "Link  
and Tetra, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" "I'm so going to kill him,"  
Tetra promised. "This is one occasion where he really deserves it," Link  
said to her.  
  
When the pirates had hauled the boat back onto the ship, Tetra had a very  
angry look on her face. "Um, ma'am?" Gonzo asked timidly. "Where is  
Niko?" she asked, trying to keep her voice level. "He's hiding below  
decks," Nudge said. "Someone go get him," Tetra ordered. Senza walked to  
the door and went inside. He soon came back, carrying Niko by the seat of  
his pants.  
  
"I want all of you to hear this right now and if any of you doesn't listen,  
the penalty is going to be harsh!" Tetra said loudly. All of the pirates  
snapped to attention and paid attention.  
  
"What Niko was saying is true, for you skeptics, but if any of you tease  
Link about it, you may find yourself the victim of a nasty prank," she  
said. "I love Link and he loves me back, so, like I've said before, don't  
tease him whatever you do or else," Tetra announced, making Link blush  
slightly when she said she loved him. "Now get to work! Our job here is  
done!" she said, ending the discussion.  
  
When all of the pirates had practically raced to their jobs, Link came up  
beside Tetra on her left side and said, "Um, that was a bit informative,  
don't you think?" "Well, they had to hear it from me for them to believe  
any of it," Tetra said, shrugging. "Anyways, what I said was true: I love  
you and I don't want anyone to make fun of you just because of that," she  
said, taking his hand.  
  
Link blushed again and she said, "You've really gotta stop that." "I'll  
try, but I'm still a little embarrassed about being personal with you  
around others," Link replied. "Get used to it, lover boy," Tetra said,  
kissing him on the cheek. He grinned roguishly and said, "Thanks, but I'd  
like that a little more to the left." "You are an imp," Tetra remarked,  
but she kissed him again, on the lips.  
  
As the ship set sail, Link and Tetra stood on the deck, just simply holding  
each other and enjoying each other's company. They stayed that way for a  
while, because, they were in love and, at heart, didn't care if the entire  
world knew.  
  
The Winds of Time had blown their ancestors apart, but for Link and Tetra,  
those winds had blown them together. Why those winds had done that is only  
a mystery. It is just the Way the Winds of Time Blow.  
  
THE END  
  
Aria: This is it; the end, the finale, the finish, the last.  
Tiana: *flies by carrying suitcase* We're packing up. Aria is leaving  
until she posts her next story, an interview with the cast and characters  
of this story and Wind Waker!  
Twister: *pushes rubber mouse along the ground* Can I bring this?  
Aria: Sure. *picks up rubber mouse*  
Din: We're outta here!  
Nayru: It was an interesting experience. We can't wait until the  
interview.  
Farore: We are going to be there, right?  
Aria: Yeah. I'll make sure that you get invitations. Now, scram before I  
start crying again.  
Goddesses: Bye! *vanish*  
Anri: Lady Aria, I am accompanying you, aren't I?  
Aria: Yeah. *grabs suitcase* I'm going to post a thank you chapter after  
this. If you want to get mentioned, send in a review. I'll be posting the  
names of all the signed and anonymous reviewers. As I've said before, I  
loved writing this story and you all were such charms! I'll miss writing  
this. Heh; that rhymed. Anyway, good-bye, until we meet again! 


End file.
